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HERE AND THERE 
A LEAF 



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BY 
LOUISE HEYWOOD 




BOSTON 

SHERMAN, FRENCH & COMPANY 

1912 



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coptright, 1912 
Sherman, Fbxkch 6* Compajty 



(gCi,A330774 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I No Thought for To-Morrow . 1 

II Bearing the Cross .... 12 

III He Is Coming 21 

IV Encouragement for the Poor . 28 

V That It Might Be Fulfilled . 35 

VI Be Patient Now 40 

VII Our Girls and Boys .... 43 

VIII Common Sense in Religion . . 55 

IX Our Responsibility . , . . 66 

X Settle It with Jesus .... 74 

XI Faith and Works 79 

XII Not Believing because Not Un- 
derstanding 87 

XIII No Middle Way ..... 91 

XIV Are We Growing Old? ... 98 
XV The Risen Christ 106 

XVI The Parting of the Way . . .111 

XVII Words of Cheer for the Aged . 115 

XVIII Far from Home 123 

XIX The Good Fight 127 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

XX Woman's High Estate . . . 138 

XXI Tired Mothers 149 

XXII Dear Baby Ralph .... 164 

XXIII Home, Sweet Home .... 172 



TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR TO-MORROW 

We know not one moment of the future. We 
may be sitting quietly in our homes, and a flash 
of lightning, or the sudden development of a 
hidden disease may send us without warning into 
eternity. An accident on a railroad train or on 
an ocean steamer, a misstep, a fire at the dead of 
night, a hundred calamities which are sending 
others suddenly to their final home, are as likely 
to happen to us as to them. 

To-day we may have all our loved ones about 
us, to-morrow they may leave us never to re- 
turn. To-day we may be rich, to-morrow poor. 
To-day we may be in the exuberance of health 
and strength, and to-morrow be laid upon a bed 
of pain and weakness. To-day we may be strong 
in the use of all our reasoning faculties, an asylum 
may be our home to-morrow. Under the care of 
our Heavenly Father, and in ourselves helpless 
as regards our future, why take anxious thought 
concerning it? Whatever we can do to make our 
lives successful in all things honorable, we are to 
do. We cannot sit down in idleness and expect 
God to take care of us without any effort on our 
part. He has given us our faculties and our 



« HERE AXD THERE A LEAF 

energies, and we are accountable for the manner 
in which we use his gifts ; but we cannot use them 
independently of him. We must have his ap- 
proval, and his blessing, and after we have done 
our utmost, leave the result of our efforts quietly 
and patiently with him. 

There is much happiness for us if we will only 
take it day by day, as God means we should, and 
not get so bewildered in the fogs and mists of 
life as not to see the beautiful sunlight beaming 
all along our path. Trials and disappointments 
must come, but the more patient we are, the 
lighter these will be : and the longer we live 
the more will they seem like the insect which 
lights upon us, and which we brush aside, an in- 
significant and but momentary annoyance. 

Life is short. Why then not make the best 
use of it to-day? When shall we be content.^ 
When, if not now, live truly and earnestly, trust- 
ing God imphcitly, and holding sweet and restful 
conmciunion with him r 

Much that might be sweet and helpful in 
our lives is overlooked, because we are constantly 
anticipating some fancied greater blessing than 
we now possess, and in our anxious care for the 
morrow, we fail to enjoy the blessings of to-day. 
Li this manner all our days are fuU of unrest, 
and we spend our whole life anticipating, but not 
realizing; for, as soon as we have reached a de- 
sired point, we see beyond us still something to 
reach after, which we believe to be necessary to 



NO THOUGHT FOR TO-MORROW 3 

our comfort or happiness. The truth is, that if 
we have not the spirit of contentment to-day, we 
are not hkely to have it to-morrow. If we do 
not exhaust the resources of to-day, but pass 
them by unused, we are likely to do the same to- 
morrow, thus making all our days barren of joy 
and of the satisfaction which comes from the as- 
surance in our hearts that we have made the 
most of the day's gifts to us. The feeling of un- 
rest and dissatisfaction which takes possession 
of so many persons, whatever their circumstances 
and surroundings, and follows them all through 
life, is something startling. Now and then we 
find one who is comparatively at rest, but the ma- 
jority, even of those who profess to trust God 
implicitly, are restless and dissatisfied. 

What is the reason for this contradictory con- 
dition? Many Christians have a sort of in- 
definite belief that God is their Father, and that 
he loves them, and will take care of them in a 
general way. That he has an especial and daily 
supervision of their lives does not enter their 
thoughts, even when they pray, "Give us this 
day our daily bread." With this indistinct idea 
of God's relation to them, and their relation to 
him, their faith is weak and wavering, and as 
no one can be satisfied with anything short of 
complete faith in a personal Savior, they are not 
satisfied, neither do they appropriate to them- 
selves the promised daily grace for daily needs. 
The promises of the Bible are not only for na- 



4 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

tions, but for the individual. God does not mock 
us in reaching out his hand to lead us. Neither 
does he stand ready to give us an occasional lift 
over difficult places, but hourly is his loving and 
helping hand extended, and if we would only 
grasp it and never let go, how many mistakes we 
might avoid ! He is our God to-da3\ All that 
we need for to-day comes from his bountiful hand, 
according to the measure of our faith. 

Perfect faith in God would so transform our 
lives that we would hardly know ourselves. To 
feel each morning that we are held in the hollow 
of his hand who controls all the gold and silver, 
the food and raiment, the good and the evil, to 
realize that God goes behind us to correct our 
mistakes, that he is all about us, that nothing 
can touch us without his permission, and that he 
pennits nothing which is not for our highest good, 
would bring peace into our hearts and radiance 
into our faces which could not be mistaken. 
Every day would bring its own compensations, 
its own completeness, and we would not need to 
anticipate or look forward. 

How can any one doubt that God means that 
we should live in this way, taking no anxious 
thought for the morrow, appreciating and making 
the most of the blessings of to-day, and endur- 
ing its annoyances with sweet submission to his 
will who knows how much trial we need, who is 
molding us daily into the image of his Son. How 
happy are we if we can say sincerely every mom- 



NO THOUGHT FOR TO-MORROW 5 

ing, "0, Lord, I am thine to-day; use me as thou 
wilt, and make my will in harmony with thy will, 
that Jesus may be glorified in me to-day !" 

What have we to do with the morrow? The 
present moment is all that we can, with certainty, 
call our own. If we do not instantly grasp this 
moment, and use it, it is ours no longer. It will 
never come back to us. How wise, therefore, it 
is to' take no thought for the future, in order 
that we may give our whole thought and effort 
to the present, that we may take all the good, 
all the strength, all the power from to-day, and 
pass it by a well-used day, with no desire to re- 
call it. One day at a time is all that we can 
master. 

It is said that in to-day already walks to- 
morrow. That is man's perversion. God has 
separated to-day from to-morrow by the darkness 
of the night, that we may not be overtaxed. He 
has made circles of the days and nights, each one 
complete, and round and full ; one half for work 
and happiness, the other for repose. He holds 
us in the hollow of his hand from morning until 
night, and from night until morning, and all we 
have to take thought about is the work he 
gives us to do, and the blessings he gives us to 
enjoy. If we do well each day's work, the fu- 
ture will be provided for. He takes care of that, 
and our eternal future, he provides for at the 
beginning. "Seek first the kingdom of God." 
Then how secure we are. How completely we 



6 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

can rest in him as we perform our tasks. How 
full we can fill the moments with love and its out- 
growth. How patient we can be under neces- 
sary ills. What a warm light we may shed all 
through our homes, in society, in business circles, 
everywhere. 

It is true that much of the work of the present 
must have reference to the future. The farmer 
must prepare the ground and sow the seed; but 
while sowing the seed, he needs not take upon 
himself the burden of the harvest. There are a 
thousand possibilities thrusting themselves in the 
face of all to give them anxious care for the 
future. Sow the seed and trust. Do the day's 
work, whether it be for present need or for the 
winter of life, in hope. 

Our blessed Lord knew what was in man; that 
he would take upon himself burdens hard to 
bear, which would imperil his manhood. He 
knew the race for all time, and that in the deter- 
mination to lay up treasures on earth, men would 
become more and more absorbed in the present, 
or become possessed by the evil spirit of accu- 
mulation. He knew the greed, the selfishness, the 
littleness of men, if left to themselves, and to put 
a check upon them, and to reveal a better way, 
he said, "Take no thought for to-morrow." 

How thankful we should be that we have only 
to-day's work to do, its trials to endure. Thank- 
ful, too, that we may have all the pleasant things 
of to-day, all the joys, all the love, the com- 



NO THOUGHT FOR TO-MORROW 7 

panionship, the tenderness and sympathy at our 
command, knowing that to-morrow will bring its 
own good as well as evil. 

How many, as if not satisfied with the real 
troubles of the present, anticipate future trials. 
How senseless, when the future is as blank to Us 
as possible, and things rarely happen just as we 
expect. They wear themselves out fretting about 
the future. They lose to-day's joys in looking 
for the future greater joy. They throw away 
good opportunities, in looking for better ones. 
They withhold from their friends the small roses 
it is in their power to give, in the hope, some 
day, of scattering roses everywhere. They with- 
hold the dollar from charity, looking forward 
to the time when they shall be able to give a hun- 
dred instead. They fail to enjoy their small 
houses and modest, but real comforts, in think- 
ing of future mansions. They make to-day some- 
thing to be endured and gotten through with in 
some way, while all the really good things are in 
the future. 

Oh, cast out from your life this haunting phan- 
tom of to-morrow. It is unworthy of you to let 
it follow you so closely, making your life a 
troubled, perhaps a wretched, anxious existence. 
There are pearls dropping all around you to-day. 
Will you trample them under foot while looking 
for diamonds? There are fragrant lilies and 
roses blooming for you now. Will you pass them 
by unheeded, while seeking for rarer flowers which 



8 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

bloom not oftener than once in a century? Be 
not so unwise. Live in to-day. Enjoy present 
good. You will thus find a satisfaction in living, 
thus be able to make wise use of your powers, 
thus with your present resources be able to fill the 
day to completeness. Your life will become tran- 
quil. The sharp and anxious lines will disappear 
from your face. Your nerves will be stronger, 
and restfulness will mark all your movements. You 
will be less avaricious. And you will be brave; 
for who cannot be brave for to-day.^ And fear- 
less; who cannot trust God for to-day .^^ And 
loving; who cannot be magnanimous for one day.f* 
And tender ; who cannot be tender to the little 
ones, to the weak ones, to the less favored ones 
for one day ? And pure ; who cannot be washed 
at the fountain in the morning, and remain pure 
all day.? 

Oh, glorious life to live, leaving all the un- 
known future with God, and living one day at a 
time, doing the work given us cheerfully and 
well, even though it be of the humblest, and al- 
ways trusting God. What more do we need than 
daily bread? If we perform each day our duty 
to God, to our fellow-men, and to ourselves, what 
better preparation can we ever make for the long 
to-morrow of the soul, which in heaven will be as 
one eternal to-day? 

To-morrow is like the rainbow, which, in our 
childhood, we thought we could reach by running 
a short distance, but which, to our dismay, we 



NO THOUGHT FOR TO-MORROW 9 

found to recede as rapidly as we advanced; or 
like the horizon, which we imagined not far dis- 
tant, and that we should be able to touch the 
golden glory gilding it. To-morrow we never 
see. To-day we hold in a strong grasp. Use it 
ere it pass away. Time whirls rapidly on. All 
the to-morrows will be to-days, then yesterdays, 
and pass quickly far away into the past until cen- 
turies hide them from all the living. Time is for 
us to use. If we waste it while anticipating fu- 
ture good or future ill, we lose to-day, and all 
the days as they go on, until our last day will 
find us barren and unlovely. 

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Suf- 
ficient also unto the day is the good thereof, if 
we will open our eyes to see it. How many go 
through this world as blind as bats, and call it a 
vale of tears ! There is reason for tears, surely ; 
but there is reason, also, for rejoicing. Open 
your eyes to present opportunities. Think not 
of what will come to you in the future, but what 
is yours now. Think not of what you can do in 
the future, but what you can do now. Think of 
your present blessings, and appreciate them the 
more. They are daily bread. Does it rain to- 
day? Is it dark and gloomy? That is all right; 
there must be some stormy days. To-morrow the 
cloud will have a silver lining, or disappear en- 
tirely. Does the sun shine to-day? To-morrow 
may be bright also, or you may pass into eternal 
brightness. 



10 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Are you well? Enjoy your health and use it 
to the best advantage. Are you ill? Then to- 
day is a day in which to be patient and endure 
cheerfully. Are you free from trouble? Then it 
is a thanksgiving day. Are you carrying heavy 
burdens for yourself or others ? Then it is a day 
for especial looking to God, and the rolling off 
your burdens at the foot of the cross. What- 
ever the day brings to you, God comes with all 
its gifts in the person of his Son, and in the of- 
fice of the Holy Spirit. In the presence of Jesus, 
the darkest day will be made light ; by the in- 
dwelling of the Holy Spirit, all toil and trouble 
will be sanctified. Using each day well, improv- 
ing every moment to some good end, how rich 
we may become as the days go on ; and what fruit 
we may bear to the glory and honor of our 
Heavenly Father, who fills the measure of our 
days to completeness so that we need not tres- 
pass upon to-morrow. 

God wishes us to live on daily bread, with no 
questioning as to whether to-morrow's food will 
be more or less palatable than that which we have 
to-day. To-day's blessings are ours ; the rest 
are God's to give or to withhold, as seems good 
in his sight. To-day's waiting and loss are ours, 
and we are to wait patiently, and to lose bravely. 
To-morrow's trials may be quite unlike those of 
to-day, and there are some days that are all joy. 
Who cannot be patient and cheerful for one day? 
Who cannot rest so firmly on the Rock, our sure 



NO THOUGHT FOR TO-MORROW 11 

foundation, for one day, as not to be moved, 
whatever may happen to vex or annoy? It is 
only one by one, day by day. Give us. Oh, Lord, 
this day, our daily bread! 



II 

BEARING THE CROSS 

Who can imagine for one moment what our 
Lord endured for us? The cross he bore on Cal- 
vary was not his only cross. No doubt many 
crosses pressed heavily upon him even from his 
childhood. He was unlike other children. Their 
rough and uncultivated ways must have caused 
his gentle and sensitive nature to shrink within 
itself. Their inclination for wrong-doing must 
have given him pain, and his remonstrances and 
disapproval of their acts were, no doubt, often 
misunderstood. 

One of his life-long trials must have been the 
constant realization that he was alone. Who 
could understand him? Who could sympathize 
with him? Upon whose tender, human heart 
could he lay his weary head and rest? His posi- 
tion was singular. Never, since the world began, 
had any one stood in his place, suspended, as it 
were, between heaven and earth, between ages 
past and ages to come, neither wholly human, nor 
yet wholly divine, the Incarnate Son of God, lifted 
up before the gaze of all humanity, first by sym- 
bols, then in his own body, that whosoever be- 
lieved in him should not perish but have everlast- 
ing life, 



BEARING THE CROSS 13 

Sin^lar, indeed, was the heavy cross he bore, 
upon which was laid the sins of all the ages, from 
the creation of the world to the end of time. 
No doubt the wooden cross which was placed upon 
him, and to which he was nailed at the last, was a 
symbol of all that he had borne and suffered, from 
the moment when he realized his position and his 
mission until that time ; and his agony in Geth- 
semane, and his torture upon the cross, were but 
feeble expressions of what he really suffered for 
our redemption. It is not strange that in his 
intense agony he prayed that the cup might pass. 
None of us can ever know the mystery of that bit- 
ter cup. We can only in part divine it, and ap- 
proach with holy reverence into the presence of 
the supreme suffering which called forth such a 
prayer from the Patient One, the Divine One, the 
Son of God, "Oh, my Father, if it be possible, let 
this cup pass from me !" Three times he prayed 
the same words, as drops of blood were falling on 
the ground, from his intense agony. But not- 
withstanding this terrible ordeal, we listen rev- 
erently to his expressions of deepest humility, and 
sweetest submission, "Father, if this cup may not 
pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be 
done !" 

There are hours in the life of every one of us 
when we feel that our cup is full to overflowing, 
that it is too bitter, that we cannot drink it. 
There are crosses fastened to our hearts that 
pierce and lacerate, and we shrink from them, 



14. HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

and beg and plead to have them removed. But, 
as with Jesus, there are often reasons why the 
crosses should remain. God has a work to be 
done by them which nothing else could do, and 
they will be lightened or removed only when his 
purpose is accomplished. There are crosses, 
also, which are light and so easy to bear that we 
do not think of asking the help of Jesus in bear- 
ing them, and they fret and irritate, and make 
us impatient and unlovely. There is no cross, 
be it light or heavy, which he will not illuminate 
for us, if we bear it in sweetness and humility, 
following him. 

All have crosses to bear. There is no escape 
for any one. Even when we call ourselves happy, 
is there not an under-current of pain flowing 
swift and strong threatening to take us off our 
feet and bear us out into the sea of trouble 
stretching on farther than the eye can see, with 
constant ebb and flow throughout this life.'' Oh, 
there is, there is, and God's children will find peace 
only as their minds and hearts are stayed on him. 

Dear one, are you lying on a bed of pain.'' Is 
there never a day nor an hour when you are free 
from suff'ering? Truly, the earthward side of 
that cross is very dark ; but the other side ! Oh, 
if you can but see the heavenward side ! All 
bright and shining with the loving compassion of 
your Lord ! Hold fast to him, and pain will not 
overwhelm you ; peace will enter your soul, and 
the Everlasting Arms will hold you, in strong, 



BEARING THE CROSS 15 

loving embrace from morning until night, and 
from night until morning. 

"Take up thy cross and follow me." We are 
not to shrink from bearing our cross. We are 
not to try to run away from it ; we are to take it 
up! "Take up thy cross, not that of some other 
person. Take up the cross appointed unto thee 
for thy discipline, for thy instruction, for thy 
preparation, for the life of the Crucified." If 
we be one in him, must we not also be crucified 
with him? Must not every sinful desire, and 
thought, every word and deed be nailed to the 
cross, even to the sacrifice of our most cherished 
idols, even to the death of our dearest earthly 
hopes .f^ Humiliated, even with our faces in the 
dust, here, to receive glory, and honor, and joy 
unspeakable in heavenly mansions. Crucified 
with our Lord here, to be exalted with him in 
heaven ! 

Joyfully let us take up our cross, and, with 
bleeding feet, if need be, follow all along the 
thorny path in which he trod to take us safe to 
heaven. Sometimes it may seem to us that God 
is partial, that the crosses of some we know are 
much lighter than our own. Considering it from 
a worldly point of view, it does really seem that 
some persons are set up as targets for sorrow 
and misfortune. 

Many are led as lambs to the slaughter every 
day, innocent persons led by selfishness, by 
cruelty, by scandal, by fraud to the ruin of hap- 



16 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

piness, of reputation, of property, often to death. 
Why is it? How futile this question which is so 
often asked in agony, but which can never be an- 
swered until the secrets of infinity are revealed, 
and we see as a grand whole the panorama of the 
ages pass before us. It was by the sins of the 
world that the Lamb of God was led to the 
slaughter, and it is by sin that troubles come to 
us. Review your life from the beginning. See 
how much of your trouble has been the result, 
directly or indirectly, of some wrong-doing on 
your part or that of another. 

Men are like the beasts of the forest. They 
prey upon one another without mercy. They 
steal and rob and murder, with the boldness of 
highwaymen, or under cover of hypocrisy and de- 
ceit or with the air of doing a favor. These 
things have been, and are, and will be to a greater 
or less extent, no matter who suffers, until Satan 
is banished and the millennium dawns. If all were 
living an ordinary, comfortable life, where would 
be the heroes? Who would perform brave acts, 
who stand unflinchingly before terrible disaster? 
Who go to the front in battles to be won? Who 
follow our Lord to Gethsemane? 

After all, you who have suffered, you whom the 
Lord has chastened because of his great love for 
you, would you go back if you could to lead an 
uneventful life, an ordinary, easy life looking 
only to the comfort of this world? Would you 
go back to mere commonplace experiences, to the 



BEARING THE CROSS 17 

daily routine of common people, common in the 
sense of never having had other than common ex- 
periences? Would you if you could? To be 
sure, the pain of your life has been great, and 
there have been many times when it seemed to you 
that you could not bear it ; but have there not 
been compensations, have there not been rich ex- 
periences? Has there not been a nearer draw- 
ing to your Heavenly Father, and a more steady 
abiding in his sweet peace? Have you not, many 
a time, felt the sympathetic pressure of your 
Lord's hand, more precious than lands or houses, 
silver or gold? Have you not been permitted to 
lean your weary, aching head upon his bosom, and 
has he not comforted you? He, the King of 
kings and Lord of lords? 

A heavy cross-bearer, ah, yes ! To the shat- 
tering of many hopes, to the giving up of much 
that is dear, to the drinking to the dregs the 
bitter cup of sorrow and misfortune ! Jesus bore 
the heavy cross, yet he did not complain. 
Sweetly and patiently, with few smiles and many 
tears, he went about his Father's business with- 
out a murmur; living his wonderful life with the 
cross ever before him, ministered unto by angels, 
beloved and approved by God, rejected, cursed 
and spit upon by man, he went on steadily to the 
accomplishment of his sublime work, that of sav- 
ing a lost world ! 

Doubtless it is for some grand purpose that 
you are led to the cross ; so take comfort, and 



18 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

trust in God, and love his Son, and be brave and 
fearless no matter what happens. We do not 
need to know the reason for God's dealing with 
us. We cannot question his love, or his wisdom. 
With all resources in his power, he can do what 
he wills ; and what an omniscient and omnipotent 
God wills should be accepted as the best for us 
he has to give. The bread he provides for us 
often has the appearance of a stone ; but it is 
really of choicest wheat, the very bread of life. 
He sometimes hedges us about, and shuts us in, 
and cuts oiF all egress from the narrow straits in 
which he holds us, to work his will in us, his holy, 
blessed will! Then welcome pain and weariness, 
sorrow and misfortune, even death itself, if it be 
his will ! 

To the bearing of the cross let it be, following 
our Lord with bleeding feet and aching heart even 
unto death! Really following him, and never for- 
saking him even though the veil of the temple 
be rent and darkness cover the face of the earth, 
waiting in hope at his tomb until the resurrection 
morn. As he triumphed over death itself, so may 
we in his name gain victories which the angels 
will record, and which will call forth triumphant 
shouts from all the heavenly host. 

Then what matter if our lot on earth be hard? 
After lying on a bed of thorns will not the roses 
be the sweeter? After the darkness of this life 
will not the light of heaven almost dazzle us? 
After living way down in the valley will not the 



I 



BEARING THE CROSS 19 

heights of the New Jerusalem be all-glorious? 

"Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and 
there is no abiding." Then let us not place too 
much value upon earthly comforts, or too much 
importance upon what happens to us here. If 
we can be made ready to fill the place God has 
appointed for us in the building of the Eternal 
Temple, we need not call the chippings of God's 
chisel misfortunes. In so far as we are in har- 
mony with God's will, what we now call chastise- 
ments will be received as blessings, and, consid- 
ered in this light, there is no real misfortune, no 
real chastisement. 

Fellow cross-bearers, take courage ! The help 
of the Lord of heaven and earth is yours if you 
will but take it. You may rejoice under diffi- 
culties. You may sing and shout praises to God 
even when the thunder-peal of misfortune is the 
loudest, and such praise will rise to heaven as 
sweetest incense, and mingle with the praises of 
the heavenly host around the throne of God and 
the Lamb. 

It is not strange that we shrink from bearing 
the cross if we see only the earthly side of it, 
upon which is written in blood-red characters, 
"The reproach of the world," "Separation from 
friends," "Toil and weariness," "Temptation and 
sorrow." But if we keep in view the heavenward 
side, we may take courage, for there we find in 
letters of gold, "Peace unutterable," "Life ever- 
lasting," "A home in the heart of Jesus." 



20 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

*' 'Do not choose thy crosses, but take those which 
God gives thee. 

" 'In the gift of my cross beware of choosing, for 
I know better than thou what thou canst endure. 

" 'Thou must not drag thy cross, but bear it. Thou 
must not blush because of it, but glory in it. 

" 'When the burden of thy holy cross terrifies thee, 
it is the want of love which renders it heavy. 

" 'Thou must not bear thy cross with ostentation, 
but simply upon the shoulder. 

" 'Under the yoke of my cross bend thy will in 
bearing this burden with humility.* " 



Ill 

HE IS COMING 

"A little girl was playing near the edge of a preci- 
pice. Suddenly she felt the earth give way beneath 
her feet^ and before she had time to spring back to 
a place of safety, she had slipped over the edge of 
the abyss. With the instinct of despair, she snatched 
at the grass and tall weeds within her reach. Her 
little fingers dug deep into the ground, and stayed 
her downward course. There she hung, suspended 
in the air. Moments seemed ages until she heard a 
voice calling in a firm, encouraging tone, *I am com- 
ing ; keep looking up !' Instinctively she obeyed ; she 
never glanced downward, but clung faster to her only 
chance of safety. Again the voice, this time nearer, 
spoke hopefully, *I am coming; keep looking up!' 
In another moment, two strong hands had seized her 
in a firm grasp, and she felt herself drawn gently and 
cautiously forward. Then she was lifted into great, 
loving arms, and pressed close to her Father's 
breast!" 

There are supreme moments in life when we 

must look up and listen for the "I am coming" 

of our Lord. It may be at the death-bed of a 

husband or a child that we feel the earth give 

way beneath our feet, or when we are on the brink 

of financial ruin and disaster, or when friends 

21 



22 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

whom we have long trusted prove to be our ene- 
mies. All have need to look up to avoid the terri- 
ble fall from the brow of the precipice which will 
surely happen if we look down, if we look away 
from Jesus, whose voice is calling, *'I am coming, 
keep looking up !" 

It is not only when some great and terrible 
calamity or bereavement threatens us that we 
should look up. When mothers are weary and 
discouraged with their many cares and trials, 
what can they do but look up and tell their 
troubles to God? He will hear even a whisper, 
or a wordless prayer for help and comfort, and 
wiU come. Fathers who are distracted with busi- 
ness cares and worries, and who know not which 
way to turn, should look up. Sometimes our 
greatest trial is the thorn, the pain of which 
must be borne, day after day, until we are ready 
to beseech God, with repeated earnestness, that 
it may be removed. He who wore the crown of 
thorns and bent beneath the burden of his heavy 
cross will come to help us bear our trial, be 
it great or small. To every one, in loneliness, in 
darkness or in weakness, he will come. Do not 
fear that his coming will be too late. If he delay 
it is to try your faith. Only look to him, and he 
will come ; one look away from him, one down- 
ward look may be fatal. Listen to his voice, and 
he wiU come to save you from every danger, to 
help you bear every trial, to help you resist every 
temptation, to wash you whiter than snow that 



HE IS COMING 23 

you may be his own in the Heavenly Kingdom for- 
ever and ever! 

Why not look up? Why not trust the Omnip- 
otent Father? The flowers lift their faces to 
him to receive the dew, the sun, and rain. Even 
the little Alpine flower on the mountain top smiles 
heavenward. The mountains, whether bathed in 
the light of the setting sun, or hidden by the 
clouds, lift their summits toward the sky. 
Everything in nature looks up to God, and tells 
us of his love. Even the ocean, lashed to fury 
in a storm, lifts huge waves towards heaven, and 
speaks in mighty tones of his power and maj- 
esty. 

When we see God's great power in the 
earthquake, the avalanche, the thunderbolt, the 
fierce flame, and at the same time, his tender 
care of a blade of grass, or a lily of the field, can 
we for one moment doubt his desire to lift us up, 
to hold us safe, to keep the terrible life-storms 
through which all must pass for discipline, for 
strength, from hurling us against the rocks, or 
burying us beneath the waves? Cannot we also 
look up to him for help in all the trivial things of 
daily life? 

May our faces always turn towards our Lord. 
May we listen, listen for the coming of his feet. 
When we hear his voice calling us, may we look 
away from our earthly cares to him. He is com- 
ing with swift feet to lift us up, to hold us safe. 
We know not over what abyss we are suspended, 



24 HERE AND THERE A LE.\P 

ready to fall at : ment, if we look away from 

him. 

Jesus c:r T- r - ::. ly when we are in danger, 
but every _ :. .^\nv messages of love and 

wamii:^. He comes at an hour when we think 
not, knocking at the door of our homes, knocking 
at the door of our hearts, and because we are not 
ready, and do not hear him. or, if we hear, are 
ashamed to admit him, grieving he turns away to 
come next time in chastisement, and spares not 
whatever is needful for our highest good, that not 
even one of his little ones may perish. How 
often he might ccMne to us in anger. How often 
we weary his patience. How we love things 
which he hates and from which he is trvincr to re- 
deem us. Could we quietly examine ourselves 
from the standpoint from which he searches us, 
each day would bring many humiliating proofs of 
the need of his comrnor with chastening hands, 
with loving pierced hands outstretched to save 
us. 

He comes to us in physical ?:-.::_: There 
are days in the life of each one -„ i. c^^iy nerve 
and fiber thrills with pain: when the head throbs 
as if it would burst, and we find it difficult or 
utteriy impossible to think of anything but our 
own intense suffering, and we can only hold still 
and brace ourselves to endure. Need we re- 
proach ourselves if at such times we cannot pray, 
that we cannot even think of Grod, that pain holds 
us in subjection with an iron hand.^ Ah, then 



HE IS COMING 25 

we can only lie in the arms of Divine Pity, as a 
sick child lies in its mother's arms, unconscious 
of the tender, yearning love surrounding and 
holding us. But as everything which comes from 
God hrings with it some brightness from the 
throne itself, if in these hours of seclusion we can 
gain mastery enough over ourselves to realize that 
this, too, is God-given, we may see ourselves sur- 
rounded by a Divine Brightness, even Jesus him- 
self, who cannot remain afar off, when his loved 
ones suffer; and this wonderful revelation will 
help us much towards sweetness and patience, and 
final victory over the pain itself. We need to 
say continually, "This is of God. I can bear it 
because it is his will." 

Oh, if we could but see, every day, in all con- 
ditions of life just how the Savior comes to us! 
How he wards off unseen dangers, and puts him- 
self beneath us to make for us a sure foundation, 
knowing far better than we can know, that it is 
only the things which are built upon the Rock 
which will endure. That any beauty or any 
strength built upon a less secure foundation must 
eventually prove a deformity or weakness. That 
however high or imposing the battlements of the 
soul may be, they cannot withstand the shocks, 
the underminings of the terrible influence of the 
world, unless they are built upon the Rock Christ 
Jesus. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of him in 
the cloud in which he is enveloped, but oftener in 
our sins and selfishness we do not know that he is 



26 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

in the disappointment, in the shadow, in the 
causes for worry and anxiety that so often come 
to us ; and because we worry or repine under his 
easy yoke, and are restless under his light bur- 
den, we lose the blessing of his sustaining and 
joy-giving presence. 

How sadly he comes to us when he finds it 
necessary to take from us our dearly beloved 
ones ! How he pities us ; and takes us in his 
arms and hushes us as a mother hushes a hurt 
child ! How often he comes to finds us sleeping, to 
be grieved by our indiff'erence ! "Could ye not 
watch with me one hour?" 

He comes to us in the still small voice, warn- 
ing us of the enemy at hand, beseeching us to put 
on the whole armor of God, the girdle of truth, 
the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of 
the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet 
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. He 
comes in the thunder-peal of misfortune to rescue 
us from the danger of laying up treasures on 
earth, for who but he can know the full value of 
treasures laid up in heaven? He will come at an 
hour when we think not, to gather in the harvest. 
Shall we have nothing to offer him then but 
leaves ? 

He will come at an hour when we think not to 
judge the living and the dead. \^Tio will be able 
to abide that coming? Who but those who ap- 
pear before him in raiment white and shining, 
bearing on high a cross stained with his heart's 



HE IS COMING 27 

blood? Who but the blood-bought throng will 
rejoice at that coming? To those who are re- 
deemed it will be a day of glory and honor, and 
joy unspeakable. To those who are not redeemed 
it will be a day of remorse and anguish unutter- 
able. There is no gainsaying this. If any thing 
be true, this is true. If there be any salvation 
for us, it is in our Lord Jesus Christ. You 
who are not washed in the blood of the Lamb, 
look to yourselves I This night your souls may 
be required of you! 

"Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when 
the master of the house cometh, at even or at 
midnight ; or at the cock-crowing, or in the morn- 
ing; lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping." 

"Be ye, therefore, ready also ; for the Son of 
Man cometh at an hour when ye think not." 



IV 

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE POOR 

There is nothing at which we wonder more than 
the great contrasts which exist in the arrange- 
ment of human affairs in regard to the things of 
this world. Looking at the existing condition 
of things without serious contemplation, we are 
ready to cry out against the injustice of immense 
wealth on the one hand, and abject poverty on 
the other ; of the honor bestowed upon a few 
men, to the absolute neglect of hosts of others 
quite as worthy ; of the satiety of comforts and 
luxuries in one direction, and the meager distri- 
bution of the same in the other. But we need 
consider only for a moment to see what a strange 
condition of affairs would exist if all were upon 
an absolute level, or if all were rich, or all were 
poor. That there should be an ascending and 
descending scale in the relation of human beings 
to one another is a necessity in the world's econ- 
omy. In order that there may be workers in all 
grades of mental and manual labor, there must 
be many grades of position, and a necessity for 
many kinds of work. Without that necessity, the 
world would stand still. But the contrasts need 
not be so great. God's arrangement in regard 

to these things has been perverted. Many men 

38 



ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE POOR 29 

are poorer than God intended them to be, through 
their lack of thrift, or their evil habits ; and 
many men are richer than they ought to be, 
through their unjust gains. These are the 
things which engender strife, and produce suffer- 
ing, and induce some to call for a communistic di- 
vision of property. 

If those who find themselves low in the scale of 
social position are filling a part of God's plan, 
and fill it honorably, there is no need for suffer- 
ing poverty. If those who are rich do their 
duty, no one has reason to cry out against them. 
Among those who accept their condition in life 
as an inheritance, and consider it a matter of 
course that they should be poor, there is great 
contentment in earning their living and enjoy- 
ing what, to those more highly favored, would 
seem meager pleasures. But now and then there 
is among them one who feels that he is born to 
better things ; one who is not satisfied with his 
lot, and who tries to struggle into a higher plane. 
He finds no congeniality in the companionship of 
his associates. They cannot understand his as- 
pirations for something higher than that with 
which they are amply satisfied. 

This is, indeed, an unhappy condition, if he 
think only of himself. But may he not believe 
that his influence is needed by his companions, 
that they, left to themselves, may not become mere 
machines? May he not feel that his receiving 
must be largely through giving; that his grow- 



30 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

ing must be through much pruning and cutting 
away of vines to be planted in other gardens? 

Does not the branch beaten by the wind and 
storm grow stronger? Will not he, through his 
struggle upward, have an advantage over those 
who are born in luxury, upon whom storms seldom 
beat, and winds never blow? Ought any one to 
be discouraged who is ushered into the world with 
little but his own energy to carry him success- 
fully through life? With good health, this is 
enough. He is face to face with the world, ta 
fight his own battles, and he must muster all his 
physical and mental forces to fight those battles 
well, and gain the victory. By constant exercise 
he trains and strengthens all his powers for best 
use. To be dependent on his own resources 
makes him manly. Work is noble ; and you who 
are born to an inheritance of self-support, re- 
joice, rather than complain. Put aside all im- 
aginary necessities, and live simply and temper- 
ately. If opportunities for mental culture 
do not readily present themselves, make oppor- 
tunities, and doubly improve them, so that, in the 
end, you may excel those whose advantages have 
been great. That he is poor, is no good reason 
why any one should be ignorant, unrefined, or 
unmanly. 

We are slow to learn the lesson of true living, 
simple as it is. God puts us wherever he wishes us 
to be. There are means within easy reach for 
our development in just the direction in which he 



ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE POOR 31 

wishes us to develop. As every little insect or 
living creature in embryo is placed in the center 
of that which it will feed upon until it reaches 
conditions necessary to its removal to a more ad- 
vanced stage of life, so God places us in the 
center of those influences which are to feed and 
mold us for the station he wishes us to fill. 
Many of us think our fare rather devoid of deli- 
cacies, and wonder, often, why things have not 
been arranged more for our ease and comfort; 
and, alas, sometimes we refuse to feed on what 
God provides, and try to satisfy ourselves with 
husks. 

If all would take up their work just where 
God has placed them, and exhaust the resources 
of their immediate surroundings, use everything 
at their command until it is past use, waste noth- 
ing of the much God gives to every one whether 
he be rich or poor, work out from himself into 
every nook and corner of the limits placed around 
him, how grandly all would grow! The law of 
compensation is God's law, and his creatures are 
not so impartially dealt with, after all, as one 
might suppose. The trouble comes from oppor- 
tunities overlooked, or thrust aside. 

Many poor people are unhappy because they 
consider poverty a disgrace. Their pride suf- 
fers. They are looked down upon by the rich. 
Well, what if they are? Does this injure them? 
Wherein lies the disgrace of poverty? Hap- 
piness does not come from the manner in which 



32 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

others regard us, but from what we ourselves are, 
and from sources above the power of the human 
to bestow. One reason why the rich look down 
upon the poor is because they associate poverty 
with ignorance and want of refinement. This 
shows a lack of knowledge of their fellow- 
creatures ; they forget how many leading men 
come from the ranks of lowly life, while few sons 
of rich men reach positions of great honor or 
large influence. 

What credit is it to a man to be rich when 
his wealth is inherited? What honor is it to have 
a title of nobility, when that title is either bought 
or inherited, compared with the credit and honor 
due to those who gain through their own honest 
and well directed efforts either wealth or a good 
name ? 

The Savior of the world gave the greatest en- 
couragement that could be given to the poor, by 
assuming a lowly condition, that of the peasant 
and the laborer; the son of a carpenter, himself 
a carpenter, in his youth, no doubt, helping his 
father, Joseph, to earn their daily bread, living 
the simple life of the poor, sharing their joys and 
sorrows, unnoticed and unknown except to the 
little circle around him, finding his recreation in 
the quiet and beautiful scenery near his home, 
loving nature and all things pure and beautiful. 
He also asserted the dignity of labor, and placed 
upon it the seal of his own hand, thus showing 
sympathy with, and approbation of honest toil 



ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE POOR 33 

throughout all time, and removing from the curse, 
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread 
till thou return unto the ground," its sharpest 
sting. 

The Son of God, the Holy One, the Beautiful 
One, lived thirty years in poverty and toil, and in 
lowly and sweet submission to his lot, unnoticed 
and unknown ! 

Looking on this picture, which is not imagin- 
ary, but as real as are the lowly and self-sacri- 
ficing lives of thousands to-day, need any one feel 
that poverty is a disgrace, or that any toil or 
deprivation is too severe to be endured patiently 
for his sake? 

It is not when the world smiles upon us, and 
all our earthly path is smooth and joyous that 
the angels come and go upon the ladder reaching 
heavenward, bringing us messages of peace from 
him who sits upon the throne, but when we are 
alone, fleeing from the world and its allurements, 
or when we are homeless and forsaken, out under 
the stars of heaven, the earth our bed, a stone our 
pillow, and God our only refuge and strength. 
Nothing can cast us out of his presence. 
He will take us up quickly when men forsake us, 
and take us finally to himself to enjoy the true 
riches which all, however poor they may be here, 
may inherit in the kingdom of heaven. It is only 
when poverty is accompanied by vice that it is 
a curse. Go into the thousands of humble homes 
scattered all over our land, and see how peace 



34 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

and contentment reign therein, when, in many in- 
stances, the daily toil provides for the day itself, 
and where the Savior's "Take no thought for the 
morrow" falls a welcome sound upon their ears ; 
for how can they take thought for the morrow 
whose resources are sufficient only for to-day? 
Fear not poverty if you have the love of Jesus 
in your heart, and his abiding presence in your 
home. If you love him not, and your ways are 
evil, though millions of money are at your com- 
mand, you are indeed poor, and wretched, and 
miserable; and far less to be envied than the poor 
man who does not know to-day where he will find 
his food on the morrow, but whose life is pure, 
whose feet are upon a sure foundation which will 
not fail him, though everything else totter and 
fall, though the earth melt and pass away. 



THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED 

There are many things recorded in sacred and 
profane history which, at the time of their occur- 
rence, seemed disastrous or unfortunate, which 
were often the carrying out of the wicked pur- 
poses of men, yet which happened and were ac- 
complished that God's plan concerning the world 
might be fulfilled. All can recall many instances 
of the kind, and we need only to review our own 
lives to see that while no chastisement for the 
present seems joyous, afterward it yields the 
peaceable fruit of righteousness ; so that what- 
ever happens we need not let our hands fall down, 
nor our knees become feeble, but looking unto 
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, run 
with patience the race set before us, remember- 
ing that while God's providences are mysterious, 
they are but the fulfillment of his plans concern- 
ing others or ourselves. God's purposes are 
grand, and they compass the ages. We catch 
only glimpses of what he is doing. We are only 
unshapely masses of unhewn stone tumbled in 
confusion here and there, and tall cedars and fir- 
trees spreading their roots and branches on 

mountain heights, and gold and precious stones 

35 



36 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

imbedded still in solid rock, or still seething in 
the furnace. We cannot see, even in imagina- 
tion, the beautiful building the great Architect 
will bring forth from that which is now rough 
and unshapely. 

From chaos he wrought our world of beauty, 
and sun, moon and stars are obedient to his com- 
mand — "Let there be light !" not withholding for 
a moment their bright rays, going on steadily in 
their appointed way until their great glory is 
hidden by the Greater Glory whose light shall 
fill all heaven and earth ! In the same manner 
will God bring his spiritual kingdom from its 
present chaotic state into glory and beauty un- 
fading, and which, though the heavens may fall, 
will stand throughout eternity. 

God has a use for each one of us in carrying 
out his plan, insignificant and useless as our lives 
may often seem. Not everything of value is con- 
spicuous or significant. Hidden things are often 
of as much consequence in the accomplishment of 
a great purpose as those which are visible. We 
are very small parts of a very large whole, and 
all the misfortune and unhappiness which ever 
came to us is but a grain in the accumlated 
weight of human woe. If it be necessary that 
we should be crushed and bruised in order to be 
read}' for the Master's use, ought we not to be 
willing to be ciTished and bruised? 

Whatever is needful to prepare us to fill our 
appointed place in God's great plan, we should 



THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED 87 

be willing to receive, no matter what chipping 
away of cherished forms and lineaments there 
might be. It matters not whether we become 
beams of cedar, planks of fir, posts of olive tree, 
costly stones, or pure gold, we cannot have this 
fitness for use without being hewn, or polished, 
or refined. 

All things are being made ready for the temple 
which will never be destroyed. Shall we allow 
ourselves to be thrust aside as useless, because 
we are not willing to submit to the process of 
preparation? Because we are not willing that 
unpleasant things should happen tO' us that all 
may be fulfilled according to God's purpose.'' 

Let us be careful not to make ourselves, in our 
own imagination, the center of God's care, ex- 
pecting him to grant us especial favor. He has 
a large family, and all the good things are not 
given to a chosen few. Sometimes it may be 
necessary for us to suffer in order that others 
may be helped in some way by that suffering. 
We are called upon to be losers, perhaps, that 
others may be the gainers. The burden and heat 
of the day must sometimes be ours that others 
may rest. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and 
so fulfill the law of God," is a divine command. 
Let us hold ourselves ready to be used by the 
great Master Builder in whatever way he wills. 
Whether he make of us brazen pillars, or only 
modest lilies for the adornment of these pillars, is 
a matter of little moment. That he counts us 



38 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

worthy of even the humblest service, is a cause 
for our deepest gratitude. If his will be ful- 
filled, however it may affect us, it is enough. So 
instead of fretting and regretting and wondering 
whether if we had done thus and so things would 
be different, let us leave the past, present and 
future with God, and earnestly seek to be willing 
that his will only be done. Harmony cannot be 
wrought out of chaos without many severe proc- 
esses which God only can understand or apply. 
In whatever degree we are rebellious toward him, 
to that extent do we hinder the drawing nigh of 
the time when Christ shall reign triumphant over 
all evil, and God's will be done on earth as it is 
in heaven. 

In order that God's will may be fulfilled, 
many things happen which we cannot understand. 
When misfortune overwhelms us, let us bear up 
bravely with the thought that it has something to 
do with the fulfillment of the divine will. When 
our friends die, it is that his will may be fulfilled. 
When sickness is our portion, or when our cher- 
ished purposes fail, it is that God's will con- 
cerning us in reference to the advancement of 
his kingdom may be fulfilled. Even our most 
humiliating mistakes may have a ''That it might 
be fulfilled" connected with them. 

Considered in this light, there is no real mis- 
fortune ; and if we are in harmony with the will 
of God, what we now call chastisements will be 
regarded as blessings. 



THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED 39 

When the day comes for that grand and silent 
building of the Eternal Temple, when neither 
hammer nor ax, nor any tool of iron may be 
heard, shall we be left out because we are not will- 
ing to be made ready in God's own way? 

** 'Tis the Master who holds the mallet, 

And day by day 

He is chipping whatever environs 

The form away. 
• •••••• 

With tools of thy choosing, Master, 

I pray thee then, 
Strike just as thou wilt; as often 

And where and when 
The vehement stroke is needed, 

I will not mind, 
If only the chipping chisel 

Shall leave behind 
Such marks of thy wondrous working. 

And loving skill. 
Clear carven on aspect, stature. 

And face, as will 
(When discipline's ends are over), 

Have all sufficed 
To mold me into the likeness 

And form of Christ." 



VI 

BE PATIENT NOW 

"Oh, give me patience, Christ, for this day's need; 
And lest I halt or falter by the way. 
Do thou with tender, loving, pierced hand, 
Beside me walk, and lead me all the day." 

What need we mothers have to pray this prayer! 

For life is like a tangled skein; and if 

We in our haste and want of patience catch 

And pull, and tie each knot more tightly still. 

Or break the threads, why, then our life is full 

Of knots and broken threads ; but, if our tasks 

Be done with sweetness and with patience, then 

From knots and tangles freed, the life is smooth 

And ready to be used for others' needs, 

As well as for our own. 

So when our cares 

Press heavily, and brain and heart are weak, 

And longing for a little rest and peace. 

We speak in tones too harsh for mother's lips, 

"Be quiet, boys !" and gentle eyes seek ours. 

As if to wonder why mamma is cross 

To-day, and why she meddles with their play 

So needlessly — does it not often seem 

To us that if we kept in mind this prayer 

And said it o'er and o'er, we should be less 

Annoyed at children's noise, and other things 

Too trivial to name.'* 

40 



BE PATIENT NOW 41 

It is not right 
To hush too much the noise of children's play, 
Or put too much restraint upon their acts. 
They need to have their freedom, like the birds 
And flowers, to sing their own sweet songs, and grow 
Their own sweet way. Too much restraint defeats 
Our purposes. And so we need to have 
Of patience, largest store; and need to watch 
And pray, and hide in Christ, and lose ourselves 
In him, that he may speak through us in tones 
Of gentlest love, that his sweet patience may 
Be ours ; and thus our mother-love so strong 
And deep, be strong and deep in every word 
And act of daily life; for love should reign 
In homes as well as hearts ; for of what use 
Is love which feels, but never acts? What use 
Is love which hides itself, and blesses her 
Alone who loves, and not the one beloved? 
What use is any sweetness in our hearts 
If that same sweetness does not breathe through all 
Our words and works? 

If only when our boy 
Lies deep beneath the snow, or when the sun 
With loving tenderness sends warmest rays 
To kiss the little violet-covered mound 
Where buried lie our dearest earthly hopes, 
We say, "Oh, if I had my baby back 
Once more, if I could hold him in my arms 
And feel his soft, warm cheek against my own. 
And hold his tiny hand and hear him lisp 
The sweet, sweet words I used to hear him say. 
And feel his little arms around my neck, 
I'd be as patient as the day is long!" 
If only then, what vain regrets are ours ! 



42 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Oh, if we hav€ sweet flowers for our boys. 
Or for our girls, then let us give them now ! 
For tender cherishing, and patient words. 
And crowns of flowers, rosebuds in the hand. 
Or in the casket wreathes of lilies white. 
Or violets sweet, are given too late to bring 
Joy to their hearts, or ours. 

Be patient now ! 
Be tender, lo"vang, now! Give all the wealth 
Of mother-love in such a way that it 
Will fill their lives with joy; and not reserve 
It for their burial; as many things 
Too good for common use are laid away 
On shelves, or kept in darkened rooms which, oft. 
Past natural use, cause vain regrets alone. 
Give royally your gifts; and scatter flowers 
Beneath the feet you lo\x so well; and crown 
With loving tenderness the little ones 
Who soon may in God's garden pluck sweet flowers. 
And sing the heavenly songs, and wear gold crowns ! 



VII 
OUR GIRLS AND BOYS 

What greater or better gift can we offer to the Republic 
than to teach and instruct our youth? — Cicero. 

It is of the coming generations of citizens that 
we speak when we say "our girls and boys," of 
little men and women for whom we are respon- 
sible, not only while they are children, but, 
largely, after they reach manhood and woman- 
hood; for "as the twig is bent, the tree is in- 
clined." The natural caretaker and educator of 
the child is the mother, who should take all pos- 
sible pains to educate herself for this holy trust, 
this great responsibility which begins with the 
first breath of the infant, and ends only with life. 
From the first dawn of intelligence, the child 
should be taught obedience, truthfulness, and self- 
control; long words to apply to the education of 
an infant, but a wise mother who is worthy to 
hold in her possession an immortal being, knows 
just how to so simplify these principles of true 
living that the youngest child may understand 
the spirit of them. 

The first thing to be taught our girls and boys 

is unquestioning obedience to our commands. 

Home government is not difficult, if wisely and 

43 



44 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

consistently administered ; but, alas ! how often it 
is unwise, capricious, defeating its own ends, 
bringing trouble to both child and parent ; some- 
times broken lives, broken hearts, crimes, even, re- 
sulting from the fault of the parents in their 
manner of rearing their children. Law is a 
necessity in every phase of life ; but law without 
its careful and just enforcement, is void. The 
child must always be under law; first at home, 
then at school, then in society and in relation to 
the State and Nation, and always under the law 
of God. The sooner the child can be made to 
understand this, by careful and gentle teaching, 
appealing to his reason, the better. Obedience is 
the foundation of good citizenship, and of true 
religion. The child should be taught that the 
parent, also, must be obedient to higher powers ; 
then he will not be so impatient of restraint, and 
he will not constantly look forward with delight- 
ful anticipation to the time when he is of age, and 
can have his own way. When I was a child, I 
thought it would be one of the happiest days of 
my life when I grew up and could have all the 
honey I wanted from a certain blue sugar-bowl, 
where it was kept for medicinal purposes. But 
when I did grow up, I no longer wanted the honey, 
and having ni}^ own way was still unattainable ! 

Self-assertion and a consciousness of certain 
rights and prerogatives belonging to them are in- 
herent in all children in a greater or less degree. 
It is the man and the woman struggling within 



OUR GIRLS AND BOYS 45 

them before they have the wisdom to discriminate 
between the right and the wrong time in which to 
assert themselves. "I have a right to do it 
mamma," said a boy of eight years in reply to 
her wish that he should not do a certain thing. 

A father punished his little boy for going on 
the ice repeatedly, when he had been forbidden 
to do so, by ducking him. Four times he ducked 
him in the ice-cold water, and each time the boy 
said, with his teeth chattering, "Do it again, 
papa ! Do it again !" 

A boy was in the habit of teasing for pickles, 
pepper, mustard, etc., at the table. One day his 
mother thought she would cure him of wishing 
for these forbidden things. She put a large 
quantity of mustard on a piece of meat and gave 
it to him. He put it in his mouth, chewed it vig- 
orously, choking, and with tears in his eyes ; but 
he persevered, and swallowed it, and then called 
out, "Dood, mamma ! Dood !" Another boy of 
two and a half years was very mischievous, and 
one of his tricks was to throw whatever he could 
find, stove-handle, or glass bottle or other danger- 
ous thing out of the open window so quickly that 
it was impossible to prevent him. Then he would 
stand in front of his mamma, back to her, and 
say, "Pank, mamma, pank !" Sometimes he 
would scold himself when he had done wrong. 
"Naughty Ralphie ! Naughty, naughty Ralphie !" 
And you wonder how any mother could help smil- 
ing and catching him to her heart with a hug and 



46 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

a kiss, instead of administering the reproof the 
little fellow deserved. Mothers need not worry 
too much over the persistent disobedience of such 
boys ; they have in them the grit of mighty men 
of valor. 

When we who are now in the prime of life, or 
older, were children, we reverenced our parents, 
and thought it a dreadful thing to disobey them. 
In many families the old order of things is re- 
versed, and parents, in many instances, obey their 
children. Mothers are often heard to say, ap- 
parently without shame or regret, "I can do 
nothing with this child. She does not pretend to 
obey me." This is usually said in the presence 
of the child. Wherever there are children, "I 
will" and "I won't," "I shall" and "I shan't," are 
often heard, with feeble protest if any at all on 
the part of the parent. Their naughty words 
and deeds are looked upon as cunning, and the 
parents laugh instead of reproving, and before 
they realize their mistake, their boys and girls 
are beyond control, naughty, self-willed and 
selfish. 

While it is wrong to nag a child continually, 
and while many of their tricks, which they soon 
forget, should receive little notice, the difference 
between right and wrong should be always kept 
before them. This can be taught more effectu- 
ally by story or song than in any other way. 
Much can be accomplished with a naughty or 
grieved child by diverting his attention. A 



OUR GIRLS AND BOYS 47 

gentleman noticed two little boys on their way to 
school. The smaller one fell, and though he was 
not much hurt, he began to whine in a baby way. 
The older boy took his hand in a kind, fatherly 
way, and said, "Oh, never mind, Jimmie, don't 
whine ; it is a great deal better to whistle." And 
he began in the merriest way, a cheerful boy 
whistle. Jimmie tried to follow his example. "I 
can't whistle as nice as you can, Charlie, my, 
mouth won't pucker up good." 

"Oh, that is because you have not got all the 
whine out yet," said Charlie ; "but try a minute, 
and the whistle will soon drive all the whine 
away." So he did, and the last the gentleman 
saw of the little fellows they were whistling away 
as if that were the chief object of their lives. 
This teaches a lesson we should all do well to 
heed. A story, a whistle, or a song will often 
divert the attention of the child, and cure many a 
pain, and grief, and naughty mood. Badness in 
the heart will always retreat from the presence 
of that which is pleasant, and good, and lovely. 

Many persons seem to think that any one of 
ordinary intelligence can properly have the care 
and instruction of a young child. The best 
educators think otherwise. "No unskilled hand 
should play upon a harp where the tones are 
left forever in the strings !" If you wished to 
build a house, would you employ careless or 
ignorant workmen to lay the foundation? Of 
how much greater importance is the foundation 



48 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

of your child's character ! If you had a field 
in which you wished to raise the best grain, you 
would take great care to have the ground prop- 
erly prepared. You would procure the best seed 
in the market, and have it sown in the right man- 
ner, and carefully tended, that no weeds might 
spring up to choke the grain. You would take 
a personal interest in the matter, and not leave 
it entirely to hirelings. 

The mind of your child is a most receptive 
field into which some sort of seed will surely fall, 
to spring up and grow and ripen for the harvest. 
Will you neglect the sowing and leave to chance 
the welfare of your own offspring? Amiel says, 
"In the moral world there is no ground without 
a master, and waste lands belong to the Evil 
One." See that there are no "waste lands" in 
the hearts and minds of your children, and that 
the good land is well cultivated ; then you may 
be sure of an abundant harvest of all things 
good, and pure, and noble in the lives of your 
girls and boys, of your men and women ! 

Cicero says, "There is no place more delight- 
ful than one's own fireside." There is, truly, no 
place more delightful when love and good sense 
reign in the home, when the father and mother 
are one in the management of the children, when 
all talk or discussion about them in their pres- 
ence is avoided, and when even the youngest has 
some share in the responsibility of making a 
happy home. 



OUR GIRLS AND BOYS 49 

If possible, children should be brought up in 
a home, and not in a boarding-house or hotel, for 
many reasons. However humble it may be, let 
there be a home around which interests and affec- 
tions may center, and from which the young 
people may go out into the world with the pa- 
rental blessing and the hallowed influences of home 
Hfe. 

"Where do you live?" asked a kindly old 
gentleman of a little girl. 

"We don't live," she replied in unconscious 
sarcasm, "we board." 

A love of home should be cultivated while the 
children are young. Give your girls the highest 
education they desire, but do not fail to train 
them to be good wives and mothers, and good 
home-makers. Choose companions for your girls 
and boys, that there may be no opportunity for 
haphazard acquaintances. We should make our- 
selves one with our children and young people, 
and join in their sports and recreations. We 
should see that they have all that healthful na- 
ture craves in the way of amusements at home, 
or at the home of friends of whom we approve. 

When sons and daughters are trained for use- 
fulness, there will be fewer unhappy marriages, 
and divorces will be less frequent. When a 
mother works hard that her daughter may have 
white hands and polished nails, be sure that she 
is preparing her for disappointment and unhap- 
piness. The result of such rearing to both 



50 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

mother and daughter is inestimable. It is not 
at all certain that she will marry a man who will 
be able to keep her in idleness, and even men of 
wealth prefer women for wives rather than dolls. 
No girl's education is complete without a prac- 
tical knowledge of everything pertaining to the 
home. Everv ffirl and boy should be tauc^ht how 
to earn a living at need. There is no room in 
this world of work and gi'eat responsibilities for 
idle young women and helpless young men. 

Habits that are formed in youth are Hkely to 
continue through life. If girls and boys are led in 
right ways, it will become second nature to use 
proper language, to be studious and diligent, neat 
and orderly, respectful and obedient, thoughtful 
of the feelings of others, and helpful everywhere. 
Let us turn their feet into right paths, which, the 
older they grow, will be more and more to them 
the paths of righteousness and peace. 

There is no book in which the children are more 
interested than the Bible, the daily reading of 
which is so important. 

"Read morel Mamma, read more!" was the com- 
mon request of a boy of three years, when his 
mother had finished her daily reading of the Bible 
in words which he could understand. Song is of 
great use in the education of a child. Dr. Tal- 
ma^e said: "Christ oucrht to be the cradle sonor. 
What our mothers sang to us when they put us 
to sleep, is singing yet." 

Nathaniel Hawthorne had a little daughter 



OUR GIRLS AND BOYS 61 

who was fond of making up stories to amuse her 
youngest brother. One day she was overheard 
telling him of a boy who was so naughty that he 
grew naughtier and naughtier, and every day grew 
naughtier still, until at last, at last, he struck 
God ! Teach the boys and girls that every wrong 
act, every unkind or untrue word of theirs strikes 
God! That they cannot do a wicked thing that 
hurts some one else, without hurting God. 

Let there be the closest possible intimacy be- 
tween parents and children. Enter into the lives 
of your children heartily. Give them the infor- 
mation they will surely seek. Anticipate their 
natural curiosity on certain subjects by discreet 
revelations from time to time. Teach them mod- 
esty and purity, and how to avoid evil compan- 
ions. Try to see things from their standpoint. 
The more you do this, the more will they learn to 
look at things from your own standpoint of 
greater knowledge and experience. Hold their 
confidence as a priceless treasure. Let nothing 
separate you from their loving trustfulness. Let 
nothing mar the beauty of the closest intimacy. 

When boys and girls have an especial bent in 
any direction, it ought to be encouraged. Na- 
ture is the best guide to a successful career in life. 
When young men and young women mistake their 
calling, it is often through following the advice or 
obeying the commands of an unwise father. The 
power-loom was the invention of a boy who made 
a model with his pocket-knife. He showed the 



52 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

model to his father, who immediately kicked it to 
pieces, saying that he would have no boy about 
him who would spend his time with such foolish- 
ness. He sent the boy to a blacksmith to leam 
a trade. The boy made another model, and 
showed it to his master, who saw that he had no 
common boy as apprentice, and that the invention 
was valuable. He had a loom constructed under 
the supervision of the boy. It worked to their 
perfect satisfaction, and the blacksmith furnished 
the money to manufacture the looms, while the 
boy received half the profits. Imagine ti sur- 
prise of the father when he learned that hi.' son 
had become a famous inventor. 

Mrs. Browning said that souls were dangerous 
things to carry straight through all the spilt salt- 
petre of the world. We all know how true that 
is. Trials and temptations are on every hand. 
Wickedness, often too vile to name, flaunts itself 
before our children and young people. In order 
to avoid these things, they must be well grounded 
in knowledge and character. They must know 
what they have to meet, and how to meet it. It is 
unpardonable to keep them too long in ignorance 
of themselves, or of their surroundings. Upon 
fathers, mothers, instructors, the responsibility 
rests heavily. They should all teach by example 
as well as by precept. A boy of thirteen sat at 
table with his father. There was wine on the 
table. The waiter asked the boy what he would 
take. "I'll take what father takes," was his re- 



OUR GIRLS AND BOYS 53 

ply. The father had his hand on the decanter 
just ready to pour out the wine, and he dropped 
it as if it were fire. Laying his hand lovingly on 
the head of the boy, he said, **Waiter, I'll take 
water." 

Sometimes parents teach their children by their 
own example to deceive and tell falsehoods, and 
then punish them for deception and untruthful- 
ness. When asked his age by a railroad con- 
ductor, a boy said, "At home, I'm twelve ; but 
when we are in the cars, my mother says I'm only 
ten." i*rofane fathers must expect to have pro- 
fane sons. A boy who was heard to swear was 
told that he must ask God to forgive him. His 
mother followed him to his room to see that he 
obeyed her. He knelt down and said in a surly 
tone, "O God, I'm sorry I said a bad word; but 
I want you to hurry and grow me up quick so as 
I can swear like father does, and then you 
wouldn't mind it." 

When we are walking out on a frosty morning 
in Autumn, we often see the perfect form of the 
leaves left upon the sidewalk where they have lain 
all night, or perhaps for an hour or two. Just 
as perfect is the impression of our lives upon the 
minds and hearts of our children. Therefore we 
need to watch and pray and use great care lest 
we mar the beauty of the wonderful beings God 
has committed to our keeping. 

The Rev. Basil Wilberforce, canon of West- 
minster, writes : "My bird knows a sweet little Ger- 



54 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

man song, 'Ich liebe dich' (I love you), but I 
can get him to sing it only by standing before 
his cage, whistling the tune myself, smiling upon 
him and making myself as much at home with him 
as possible." In this manner we may lead our 
children to follow our example by singing sweet 
songs ourselves, if we would have their hearts at- 
tuned to perfect melody. 



VIII 
COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION 

How much contentment and true happiness is 
missed by the lack of common sense in every day 
living. It is a rare thing to find a person who is 
earnest and sensible, and who does not feel com- 
pelled to do' as others do, who has the moral cour- 
age to depart from the rules and conventionalisms 
of "society," and to face boldly and with true 
dignity the false judgments and ridicule of those 
who believe him to be ignorant of the same, be- 
cause he does not conform to them strictly enough 
to meet their approbation. 

What people say, and what people think are 
often more weighty considerations than his own 
interests, absurd as this may seem when we reflect 
upon it. It is important, in his own estimation, 
that life should be a grand performance. The 
world must be pleased, otherwise life cannot be a 
success. To this end there is a constant struggle 
to keep up appearances, to' so conduct himself 
that he may seem to have more money than he 
really has, that he is better born than he really is, 
and, in general, to shine with a false light. The 
eff*ort to keep this light burning requires the sac- 
rifice of many comforts, robs him of content and 

rest, and is a servitude which he assumes to please 

55 



56 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

others, when, in all probability, he does not plefise 
them, after all his efforts. 

Many live beyond their means, hoping for some- 
thing unusual to occur in time to save them from 
disaster. Others live up to their means so closely 
that when there is an unexpected demand upon 
them, they are in trouble. To what end is this 
hazardous way of living? For comfort? It can- 
not give comfort. It can only bring care and 
anxiety, and the miserable satisfaction of know- 
ing that what the world looks upon is fair, with 
nothing to excite the suspicion that poverty or 
even limited circumstances may be lurking about ; 
and to this poor end, personal good sense, com- 
fort and happiness are sacrificed. 

When Jesus tells us that we need take no 
thought for the morrow, he takes it for granted 
that we are using wisely and prudently the things 
of to-day, and not wasting money in extrava- 
gance or useless display to convince our neighbors 
that we are persons of importance. He would not 
do that. When on the earth he sought not to 
win the praise of the world by display. How 
simply and plainly he lived! Cannot we all learn 
from him a lesson essential to the highest good 
of multitudes of people, indeed, to every one, 
whether in the church or in the world? 

A little boy was teasing his papa to buy him 
something, and his papa replied, "You want too 
many things." "Buy me too many things !" was 
the answer. Grown up children want too many 



COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION 57 

things. Never satisfied with what they have, 
they clamor for more, and more. They look no 
farther than this life, and so overrate the value 
of some things, and underrate the value of others. 
If money increases their needs increase in propor- 
tion, so that they are really no better off with hun- 
dreds of thousands than they were with thou- 
sands. Instead of using their newly acquired 
wealth for purposes productive of real benefit, 
they pull down houses already comfortable, and 
large enough for their necessities, in order to 
build larger ones ; then more servants must be 
employed ; in every direction expenses must be in- 
creased, in order that the appointments of their 
homes may be in accordance with prevailing cus- 
toms among those whose favor they would gain. 

Why not meet the real condition of things 
wisely and bravely? Why court the favor of 
those whose opinion of you is based upon external 
matters? Why not give up the foolish and inef- 
fectual struggle with pride? What matter is it 
whether you are thought to be rich or poor, in 
high or in middle station? Of what consequence 
is it that the rich should be your friends, if you 
are not rich? They have the whole world from 
which to choose their favorites. It is natural 
that they should choose them from their own sta- 
tion. It is as if the violet should wish to be a 
rose, or the rose a sunflower, for us to wish to 
emulate those who, in the opinion of the world, are 
above us. As the flowers have their own form. 



58 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

and color, and fragrance, each beautiful and joy- 
giving, so have we, each one, a place and mission ; 
so have we our own capacity for growth and use- 
fulness. 

To God, there is no above nor below, except 
as regards character, and spiritual growth. To- 
attain to the highest excellence in your sphere of 
action, to be all that God meant you to be when 
he created you, to use all the resources at your 
command for growth, and bloom, and fruit as do 
all growing things in nature, will leave you no 
time and no inclination to cultivate useless friend- 
ships, or to carry needless burdens. You need 
not envy those above you, nor scorn those beneath 
you. 

Let us strive to make the best possible use of 
our advantages, without undue reference to the 
opinions of our fellow-men. No human judgment 
is unbiased. We can rely only upon the judg- 
ment of our Lord. Could we form the habit of 
seeing things from his standpoint, how soon would 
all useless strivings cease, and our lives become 
simple and grand like his life ! We need no leader 
but him. We need bear no yoke but that im- 
posed upon us by him. The yoke imposed upon 
us by the world is indeed heavy, and its burdens 
too great to bear ; but his yoke is easy, and his 
burden light. 

Cast out, then, from your life the things which 
wear, which worry, burdens which you ought not 
to bear lest they paralyze your best energies ; 



COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION 59 

seem to be what you are, and not an ugly creature 
with a false face. Be not like the poor tortoise 
who borrowed the eagle's wings. Martial says 
that there is nothing more contemptible than a 
bald man who pretends to have hair ! And so are 
we contemptible if v/e pretend to be what we are 
not. 

More of the simplicity and common sense of 
the religion of Jesus ought to be practiced in our 
homes, in society, and in the church. Think for 
one moment how much courage it requires for a 
woman associating with those who dress fashion- 
ably, to wear contentedly last year's bonnet, or a 
dress two or three years old. What condition 
of things is that in which an acquaintance is 
valued in accordance with the style of her cloth- 
ing.? What opinion can a woman have of her- 
self for judging the worth of another by her 
dress? If she should choose to wear the fashions 
of twenty years ago, what matter.? All fashions 
return in time. The old become the new, and the 
new the old. What difference.? There should be 
equal rights in these things, that the weight of 
custom may not press too heavily, and that the 
freedom of Christianity may enter into our style 
of dress, and that the consistency and common 
sense of true religion may be shown in what we 
wear and how we wear it. First of all we should 
dress within our means, wear what is modest and 
becoming and not in the extreme of fashion. 
Clothing has its proper use, and is not for mere 



60 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

display, or to excite the envy of those about us. 
We dress in the best taste when our dress does 
not attract attention, and when once put on prop- 
erly, we need not think of it again until we take 
it off. It is not necessary to dress meanly. Our 
clothing may be of expensive material, and yet be 
modest, and in every way suitable. Indeed, it is 
of the greatest economy to buy the best of the 
kind required, if it be desirable or necessary to 
make the garment last a long time. 

The years that are going by cannot be recalled, 
and we are gi'owing old more rapidly than we 
realize. If we are to accomplish anything worth 
accomplishing, if we have not already begun, it is 
time to begin now. The exercise of common sense 
and good judgment in our every day matters will 
leave us more time to devote to especial and im- 
portant objects outside our merely personal in- 
terests. It is not to be expected that those who 
have no interest in the Christian religion will 
spend much time or thought upon serious things, 
but not so of Christians. We are not our own. 
We have given our all to Jesus. He it is whom 
we must consult in regard to the use we make of 
everything. 

In seeking not to dress too much, let us avoid 
the other extreme, and not be so indifferent to our 
personal appearance as to dress shabbily. It 
would not be pleasing or honoring Jesus for those 
whom he loves to neglect the body. It is the home 
of the soul, and it should possess a quiet charm 



COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION 61 

attractive to our friends and to all good people. 
There is another thing in which our influence ia 
stronger than in that of dress, wherein we fail to 
use good sense, and to show ourselves consistent 
Christians. It is in our conversation. Who can 
listen to the conversation of a dozen women whom 
one incidentally meets at a public gathering, or 
at a popular resort, without often feeling dis- 
quieted or ashamed? It hardly seems possible 
that intelligent beings, lovely in the image of their 
maker, endowed with reason, gifted often with the 
power of rising to an unlimited height, capable of 
reaching after, and in a measure, grasping the in- 
finite, should be satisfied to talk of little besides 
dress, and fashion, and gossip, should be appar- 
ently satisfied with such subjects. 

When the themes for profitable conversation 
are so varied and so ample, when the mind ex- 
pands so rapidly under the influence of the inter- 
change of thought and sentiment, when thought 
and sentiment are worthy of expression, what a 
pity that any one should be satisfied with non- 
sense. And when to all the other graces of 
womanhood are added the crowning graces of re- 
ligion, how surprising and humiliating all this is! 

We might fail to recognize a Christian woman 
in such companionship; but, strange to say, there 
are many professing Christians who demean 
themselves in just this kind of foolish, uninterest- 
ing conversation by the hour, and think nothing 
of it. What power can rouse the thousands of 



62 HERE AND THERE A LEAP 

women who thus waste the time, the talents, the 
energy God has given them, to a true sense of 
their privileges and obligations? What a revolu- 
tion must take place in society and in the church 
before the simplicity and nobleness of Christ-like 
lives will be realized among women ; before the 
light of wisdom and truth will shine forth steadily 
from their lives to illumine the world in which 
they move. It is plain that women do not under- 
stand their power or their importance in the 
world, or so many of them would not lead the life 
of butterflies. 

Without doubt there are many who would 
break away from the yoke imposed upon them by 
the acquisition of wealth and position, and the 
tyranny of custom, if they had the courage to do 
it. Without doubt, many long for better things ; 
but who will break away.^^ Who will lead the 
multitude of burdened ones into a better life, and 
to an inestimable increase of happiness? 

Ah, how many Christians are drawn into the 
current to float with the rest, resisting feebly, or 
not at all, the tide wliich is bearing them farther 
and farther from the center of all good, and 
bringing dishonor upon Jesus Christ whom they 
profess to honor. 

No one should be compelled to do as others do 
merely because others do it. There never was a 
greater curse than that of the desire to ape other 
people. We are individuals. We have individu- 
ality. Let that individuality be preserved in all 



COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION 63 

the relations of life. One has poverty, another 
has wealth. Let the poor man live according to 
his poverty, and the rich man according to his 
wealth, neither of them envying or sneering at the 
other. One has rare ability, another has mediocre 
talent. Let the first use his ability for the best 
and purest purposes, and the other do the best he 
can, and let each be content with the other. One 
woman is fond of dress and willing to spend half 
her time in adorning her person. Another finds 
these things a burden from which she wishes to 
be freed. Let the former waste her time thus if 
she wish; what is that to the other .^^ And let the 
latter live in freedom, and dress as is convenient. 
Whose affair is it but her own.'' Let there be 
perfect independence. Let each one be a unit of 
unique value, capable of standing quite alone. 

True living does not consist in the position we 
hold in the world, or in the church, neither in the 
amount of worldly comfort and pleasure with 
which we are able to surround ourselves ; still less 
in the good or bad opinion of our fellow-men. 
That is the most noble life which gives little 
thought as to whether one is known or unknown, 
but which moves on sweetly and quietly in its ap- 
pointed sphere, gathering each day the flowers 
within reach, and patiently extracting the thorns 
which are hidden in the sweetest flowers, valuing 
the highest those things which Jesus values the 
highest, and shedding around the luster of a 
Christ-like character. 



64 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

One obstacle to perfect harmony between man 
and man, is pride of family. It is a good thing 
to be able to look back upon a long line of noble 
ancestry; but the man whose ancestors were ple- 
beians, and who wins for himself nobleness, is su- 
perior to the man whose nobility is an inheritance. 
It is not what our fathers were, but what we are 
that should claim for us the highest regard. It 
is character only that bears all tests through all 
time; that shines bright and pure in the clear 
light of the supreme moments in life when we 
are called to noblest deeds or bravest endurance. 
When that hour comes in which we must stand 
before God in the clear light of heaven, what will 
then stand but greatness of soul? 

The King of heaven chose his earthly lot among 
the most lowly, and esteemed those noble who 
were noble in character. He taught his disciples 
not to seek high places, to seek no worldly honor 
or fame ; that the greatest victories they could 
achieve would be to conquer their own spirits, and 
that those who followed in the meek and lowly 
path he trod would be exalted to his throne in 
heaven. 

God made all men equal as regards individual 
rights and privileges ; equal in the contest for 
knowledge, goodness, and truth. He places low 
in the scale of humanity those who deserve to be 
low, and those who merit a high position, are, in 
his esteem, already high, without regard to 
"wealth, or family, or blood. His scale of 



COMMON SENSE IN RELIGION 65 

measurement is ours reversed: "The first shall be 
last, and the last shall be first." When we see 
men and things from his standpoint, as nearly as 
we may, then will the galling chains drop off, 
and we shall be free to live in accordance with 
sanctified common sense. Then shall we belong 
to God's nobility, a privilege which is conferred 
upon many who are scorned by the nobility of this 
world. 

There are large beams in the eyes of the world. 
It does not see clearly. Then let us not place 
too much value upon its judgments; rather let us 
walk quietly with God, ruling our lives by that 
of his beloved Son in whom there was no guile. 



IX 
OUR RESPONSIBILITY 

Whether we realize it or not, whether the fact 
is acceptable to us or not, or however strong our 
eiFort may be to throw it off, our responsibility 
to God, to man, to ourselves, remains. We can- 
not shut ourselves within ourselves if we try. We 
cannot build around ourselves a wall of separa- 
tion from other people, so that it would be the 
same to them as if we were not in existence. It 
can never be the same to them. Human beings 
touch each other in some way. It is a law of na- 
ture which cannot be revoked. Humanity is a 
common brotherhood. 

There are lines drawn sufficiently marked, it 
would seem, to separate completely, different 
classes of society ; but they cannot be so sepa- 
rated. The rich influence the poor, and the poor 
the rich. The good influence the bad, and the 
bad the good. All classes are bound together, be- 
cause all are human beings ; all have souls ; by all 
must be waged the battle of life ; all have their 
joys and sorrows, their conflicts and their victo- 
ries, and to all must come, finally, the common lot 
of death, and the probability of being forgotten 

before many generations shall have succeeded 

66 



OUR RESPONSIBILITY 67 

theirs ; and upon all rests the burden of responsi- 
bility. 

Jesus calls our influence the light we shed 
around us. Is it a true or false light? Will it 
warn others from evil ways, or lead them into these 
ways? Is it wavering or uncertain and deceiv- 
ing like the will-o'-the-wisp or steady and bright, 
leading always toward truth and the beauty of 
holiness? Jesus said, "Let your light so shine 
that men may take knowledge of your good 
works and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven." Especially in our homes should our 
light shine clear and steady. If our influence 
there be cheering, strong and helpful, if our re- 
sponsibility there be fulfilled carefully and prayer- 
fully as in the presence of our God, then will there 
be shining from us a light which will never grow 
dim, and an influence which will be felt almost 
without limit. 

It is in little ways that we are most tempted to 
hide our light. Physical ailments are often the 
cause, but not a good excuse for a surly "good 
morning," or a hasty word which will sting 
through all the day. It is not the burning, 
scorching, concentrated heat of the sun that is 
most acceptable, but the diff*used rays which 
reach into all the dark corners, and bring light 
and warmth everywhere. It is not the brilliant 
flashes of light that we shed around us that render 
our lives and the lives of others more lovely and 
lovable, but the diff'used light of little words and 



68 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

deeds. Neither is the severe storm so lasting in 
its influence as the continued dropping which 
wears away stone. We can endure an occasional 
outburst of anger more patiently than the petty 
fretting and fault-finding which is of daily oc- 
currence in many homes. 

Sunshine then, sunshine everywhere! Have 
control of your tongue and of 3'our manner. 
Keep back the hasty word. If things do not suit 
you, do not find fault. This never induced any 
one to comply cheerfully with your wishes, and 
never will. Approach one another with love and 
tenderness when any difficulty is to be discussed, 
or mistake corrected. It is easy to avoid petty 
bickerings and strife in a home where all its mem- 
bers are watchful over themselves; and watchful- 
ness is absolutely necessary. Words slip out so 
easily. The tone of the voice partakes so much of 
the feeling, and we are creatures of impulse. We 
have need often to say to ourselves, "Wait a mo- 
ment. What am I going to say?" "What am I 
going to do?" Thinking before speaking or act- 
ing would often save bitter and sometimes life-long 
regrets. 

We cannot think or speak, we cannot laugh or 
weep, or keep silent, stretch forth our hands or 
withhold them, give or receive, without influencing 
some one ; and whatever that influence is, we are. 
The water that flows from the fountain partakes 
of the precise nature of the fountain. If we speak 
gently, and our manner is always gentle, then are 



OUR RESPONSIBILITY 69 

we gentle. If our influence upon others be a 
Christian influence, then are we Christ-like. If 
our influence be worldly, then, no matter what we 
may call ourselves, we are worldly. Our every 
act is of the utmost consequence to ourselves and 
to our race, for our influence does not stop with 
those with whomi we come into immediate contact, 
but it circles on to the outermost edge of time. 
Our words and deeds weigh more heavily in the 
scale of human weal or woe than we are apt to 
think. Every hour we are weaving a web which 
will entangle souls in deeper misery, or we are 
drawing by the fine and beautiful threads of our 
lives, souls nearer to truth, to beauty and good- 
ness, nearer to heaven. 

There may be those who will say, "Why make 
life so serious and gloomy?" We are not dolls 
or puppets. That our acts are of consequence, 
gives beauty and dignity to our lives ; and the 
same God who created us with the capacity to 
influence others, will strengthen us to bear the re- 
sponsibility resting upon us, and to meet our 
weighty obligation to do good and not evil. 

God's way is a way of light. The gloomy path 
has once been trod by him! who carried from his 
cradle to his grave the burden of our sins. He 
trod this path to open for us a smoother, brighter 
path. He bore the crushing burden that we 
might have noi burdens. His life went out in 
darkness that ours might go out in light. He 
bore the cross that we might wear the crown. 



70 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

By perfect obedience to the commands of Jesus, 
a constant taking up of the cross, and a close 
following in his footsteps we may fulfill our obli- 
gations to God, to our fellow-men and to our- 
selves. The Son of God will not lead us into 
error. His commandments are not grievous, nor 
the cross of his appointing too heavy. In his 
parable of the talents we are taught that we did 
not come into the world like dumb animals, with 
no means of progress, no responsibility. Upon 
each one God has bestowed certain gifts ; not upon 
all alike, for we must do the work of the world, 
and some are fitted for one thing, and some an- 
other, so that all kinds of work may be accom- 
plished. 

An acorn, containing the germ of an oak, falls 
from a tree and is buried in the earth. If it re- 
fuse to take the food nature has provided for it, 
to swell and burst, to put forth rootlets and to 
push a tiny stem up through the soil, or, even 
after it has done this, if it will not drink in the 
air, the dew, and the sunshine, if its roots do not 
take up sustenance from the earth, and grow 
stronger and stronger, it will never become a tree ; 
even the little life it has will be taken away, nat- 
urally, and it will perish altogether. 

We enter this world knowing only how to cry 
and to take the food nature has provided for us ; 
but there is a power within us to grow physically, 
mentally and spiritually, and we are surrounded 
by conditions which tend to rapid growth and de- 



OUR RESPONSIBILITY 71 

velopment. If we neglect to appropriate to our- 
selves all God has provided for us, if we fold our 
hands idly because but one talent has been given 
us, what can we expect but to lose, naturally, this 
one talent, and to be cast out as unprofitable serv- 
ants? Around him who uses to the utmost his 
God-given ability, the circle of opportunity and 
privilege will widen more and more, reaching to 
the utmost bounds of human knowledge and ac- 
quirement, and human influence, reaching even 
into eternity. For who will dare fix a limit to 
the development of an immortal being created in 
the image of God? 

All the acts of life are significant, and power- 
ful for good or ill. Every good thing we do re- 
flects upon ourselves, and helps to build charac- 
ter; and while we are adding stone upon stone to 
our own structure, often, without our knowing it, 
another is building beside us, and unconsciously 
following our leading. This world is not a play- 
ground, but a workshop. The Son of God is the 
Master-builder. Under his guidance beauty will 
grow from deformity, and graceful proportions 
from unseemly confusion ; and by and by we shall 
see the halo of light which surrounds him, sur- 
rounding also every one to whom he imparts his 
divine grace, and we shall go about our duties 
with this wonderful brightness surrounding us if 
we follow where he leads ; if we follow ! 

The strong purpose of our lives must be to 
attain to the highest ; but we must not stop there. 



^^ HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Only meaning to do a thing, amounts to nothing. 
What if the clouds should say, "We mean to drop 
rain to refresh the earth," and yet should with- 
hold the rain? What if the fruit tree should say, 
"I mean to grow, blossom and bear fruit," and 
neither grow, nor blossom, nor bear fruit? What 
if the sun should say, "I mean to shine," but for- 
ever hide his face behind a cloud? It is being 
and doing that make our lives of value. We 
have no right to ourselves unless we give ourselves 
away. The world is not indebted to us, but we 
to the world. "Our part on earth is not to be 
served, but to serve." 

God does not require of us what we might do in 
other circumstances. He does not expect us to 
give time which we have not at our command, or 
money which we do not possess. Neither does he 
require us to use the talents of another person. 
To all he gives advantages enough to make per- 
fect men and women of their kind. He does not 
expect a laborer to have the beauty and grace of 
a poet, or that a poet will have the practical 
knowledge and muscular strength of a laborer; 
but he does require each one to do his work cheer- 
fully and well. A man who cannot drive a nail 
straight, with a simple story or song may charm 
the man who drives nails for him ; and so it may 
be on the every hand; each one aiding the other 
in a common brotherhood, without envy, without 
strife, without pride or scorn. 

We cannot in any way be free from responsi- 



OUR RESPONSIBILITY 73 

bility. Much is required of him to whom much is 
given. He to' whom Httle is given, must make the 
best possible use of what he has. We are all 
building for eternity. Let us lay the walls with 
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance, and cement them 
together with love. Then, at the last day, our 
Heavenly Father will say to each one of us, "Well 
done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been 
faithful over a few things ; I will make thee ruler 
over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy 
Lord." 



SETTLE IT WITH JESUS 

There are many things we must settle with 
Jesus which na human being can adjust; trials 
we can tell to no one, and heart-aches we must 
conceal even from our nearest friends. The 
things which wound us, which oppress or injure 
us, which human nature would settle with the of- 
fenders — sarcasm for sarcasm, harsh word for 
harsh word, unkind deed for unkind deed — follow- 
ing the old interpretation of the law, an eye for 
an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But we who belong 
to Christ have no right to return evil for evil, 
to retaliate or revenge. He has taught us how 
to meet wrong and injustice, and we ought not 
dare to meet them in any other way than that 
which he has taught by precept and example. 

When our accustomed serenity is disturbed sud- 
denly, and we are nearly overpowered by the tu- 
mult within us, then should we go away alone 
and settle it with Jesus. Wlien we are unjustly 
blamed for some unpleasant occurrence and we 
cannot make any one understand that we are not 
in fault, all we can do is to carry our trouble to 
Jesus. When our pride is wounded by our 

equals, or perhaps by our inferiors, but who re- 

T4 



SETTLE IT WITH JESUS 75 

gard themselves as being far superior to our- 
selves, and we are angry because we are found 
trailing our armor in the dust instead of wearing 
it, we should go to Jesus at once and tell him all 
about it. When recognition is denied us and we 
are set aside by those who are less intelligent or 
less refined than we are, who can understand our 
position better than he? 

There are many times when our hearts are rest- 
less and disturbed when we cannot assign any 
reason for it, when we realize that our blessings 
are many, and that we ought to be happy, but 
are not ; then all we can do is to go to Jesus. 
He will search us and try us, and find out the 
cause for all our restlessness, and apply the 
remedy in love and tenderness. * 

There are many things about which there is a 
great difference of opinion which we must settle 
with him. Shall we frequent the theater? Is it 
right for us to spend our time in idle amusements ; 
in the mere formalities of society; in meeting the 
demands of those for whom we have no affection, 
and who have no real interest in us? Is it right 
to keep late hours, to dance to excess, to eat and 
drink that which slowly undermines our health? 

Should we look upon those less favored than 
ourselves in worldly circumstances as our infe- 
riors regardless of their true worth? Do we not 
prove our own inferiority by this false position? 
Ought we to speak ill of others unless circum- 
stances require us to tell what we know to be 



76 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

true? Let Jesus answer all these questions. Hu- 
man judgment is rarely free from prejudice. He 
only can decide impartially. He sees eyerything 
through the bright light which surrounds the 
throne. His judgment is as clear as the light of 
heayen. He knows eyen the subtle influences 
which surround us. There is no dimness in his 
vision. There are no beams in his eyes, no doubts 
in his mind ; and loying us supremely, he can but 
guide us for our good. He will answer all our 
questions in ways that cannot be mistaken, if we 
really desire to know his will. If we desire our 
own way, his answer is not always clear to us, for 
it is in some degree modified by our own precon- 
ceived opinions. 

Blessed will be the time when we settle every- 
thing with Jesus ; when we no longer trust to our 
own judgment; when we no longer cry out anx- 
iously, "\Miat shall I do?" Blessed indeed to 
have no more harassing care, to be at rest in him ! 
We have all experienced hours of peace which 
passes all understanding, but to have this peace 
at all times, Jesus must be close at hand. To 
settle all our difficulties, he must abide with us, 
that quick as thought his presence may be felt, 
his hand pressed, and his strength imparted. 
Thus only can we perform faithfully the common 
duties of life, moving quietly above their vexa- 
tions, hiding from others our annoyances as the 
calmly flowing river hides the rough places of its 
stony and uneven bed. 



SETTLE IT WITH JESUS 77 

But many cry out, "My heart is sinful; my 
speech is wicked ; my house is in disorder ; I am 
not prepared to entertain a King." If we shut 
Christ out with the plea, "I am unworthy that 
thou shouldst come under my roof," then do we 
shut him out forever, for we can never become 
worthy of his abiding presence by our own ef- 
forts. It is he who will make our hearts fit 
temples for the King of Glory. We should invite 
him to come in, not because we are worthy of him, 
but because he loves us, and stands always knock- 
ing at the door, and he will enter and abide, and 
we may know that he is with us in the same way 
that we know our dearest friend is near us. 
Though we are not looking at him, or really think- 
ing of him, we are conscious of his presence. We 
need not think of Jesus to the exclusion of other 
things, but we may have the joy of his presence 
in the home, or wherever we may be ; his helpful 
sympathy and imparted strength in our work and 
in our care, and his guidance in all our diffi- 
culties. Many think of him as being at some re- 
mote corner of the universe, except on especial 
occasions when he condescends to draw nearer. 
He is just as near to every one of us as we de- 
sire. How blind must they be who admit him not 
to close communion, and then complain that clouds 
obscure their vision; that they have not as much 
light as they wish; that God and heaven seem far 
away. 

We cannot follow a guide who is so far from 



78 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

us that we can not see him, nor hear his voice, and 
how can we follow Jesus unless we are near him? 
How keep our spiritual vision clear unless he be 
with us to bring light out of darkness? As the 
branches wither and die separated from the vine, 
so do we die spiritually, separated from Jesus. 
Without him we are cumberers of the ground. 
Without his abiding presence we are in danger 
of being assailed and overcome by a vigilant and 
powerful enemy. Left to ourselves, we are help- 
less indeed. How safe we are if we carry every- 
thing to him. How strong if we clasp his hand. 
In his calm presence how insignificant are the 
daily worries and anxieties. The doubts and 
questionings which have hitherto perplexed us 
vanish away. The crooked and tangled things 
become straight, all the things which once so 
wounded and vexed us lose their power over us, 
and all our restlessness disappears in the presence 
of Peace! 



XI 
FAITH AND WORKS 

We are always asking something of our 
Heavenly Father, as if we were always hungry 
and in need, and think it strange that so much 
praying does not bring the desired answer to our 
prayers. Are not many of our petitions faith- 
less? Is not God's answer to every prayer, "As 
your faith is, so be it unto you?" Unless, indeed, 
the granting of our request would do us harm. 
There are prayers offered every day, the answers 
to which would make men dumb with astonish- 
ment. Men pray too often into the air, and there 
is no warmth of love in such prayers. They 
reach no farther than the atmosphere in which the 
vibrations of sound lose themselves. They are 
not the prayers of faith. 

We pray that God will take care of the poor, 
but do not help the answering of our prayer by 
our works. We pray, "Abide with me. Oh Lord," 
but we do not really believe that he will abide with 
us. We pray, "Give us this day our daily 
bread," but do not believe that he will give it to 
us, for how we fret over that same daily bread! 

"Ask and it shall be given you," is true of 

everything which it is best for us to have. If 

T9 



80 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

God deny us anything, it is in the same spirit in 
which we deny our children many things. If our 
prayers are not always answered just as we wish, 
we need not think that they are unheard by God. 
The feeblest uplifting of the heart to him is no- 
ticed and considered. Why not pray in faith 
that God will answer unless there be a good reason 
why our request should be denied? 

Do we not pray too much and praise too little? 
While we are admonished to pray without ceasing, 
are we not also commanded to rejoice alway? 
Should not praying and rejoicing accompany 
each other? Should not praise precede or follow 
every prayer? Is not our cup of blessing so 
full that our prayers will turn to praise? 

Why be always poor, and hungry and naked, 
when, if we are hungry, it is because we only taste 
the bread of life, and then return to our com- 
mon fare; if we are naked, it is because we will 
not put on the robes of righteousness offered to 
us by Jesus ; if we are thirsty it is because we only 
sip at the waters of life instead of taking full 
draughts at the fountain. Why do we sit in our 
poverty crying, "Oh, Father, I am poor and 
needy, clothe and feed me ; I am a poor, miserable 
sinner, save me ; I am falling at every step, oh, 
lead me !" And still the same cry, day after day, 
turning a deaf ear to the answering of our Father, 
"I give thee bread, eat and hunger no more. I 
clothe thee, put on these white robes. I pardon 
all thy sins, go and sin no more. Take my hand 



FAITH AND WORKS 81 

in thine, and thou shalt nevermore walk alone." 
Why not take God at his word? He hears 
the prayer even before we utter it, and is more 
ready to give good gifts to us than we think. 
Under the shadow of his wings, there is rest and 
peace. We are not beggars at his gates, but 
heirs of his kingdom, and with light hearts and 
radiant faces we may go singing towards our 
eternal home. God blesses us wonderfully even 
when our faith is like a grain of sand. What 
may he not do for us when we rely upon him with 
the strong confidence of children? With such 
faith, good works, almost without limit, naturally 
follow, and these good works begin in our own 
hearts, and in our daily living, for thus, and thus 
only, are we prepared to extend our works beyond 
ourselves. Faith and pure living are inseparable. 
True religion is undefiled. If men who profess to 
be religious are not so, it is not that religion it- 
self is wanting in any good element, but that they 
fall short of the standard raised on high that all 
may see it, even Jesus Christ. 

How dares one call himself a Christian who is 
not Christ-like? How can he live in conformity 
to the world, and give his neighbors occasion to 
charge him with dishonorable conduct and little 
meannesses which a noble man of the world would 
scorn. A true Christian is God-like. A God-like 
man towers so far above his fellow-men, that they 
cannot fail to acknowledge his superiority. Alas 
that there are so many who are only Christians in 



82 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

name! That so many, who might shine as stars 
even here, have only a smoldering faith beneath 
the embers of worldliness, whose light never shines 
forth, whose works are according to their weak 
faith, and who barely press into heaven through 
gates ajar, instead of entering triumphantly 
through gates open wide, with loud hosannas 
greeting the blood-bought and glorified ones 
whose faith and works here opened to them a glo- 
rious inheritance with the highest ones in heaven, 
at the right hand of Jesus. 

The faith which every one ought to have is like 
the faith of little children in their parents. They 
lay their hands in ours with perfect confidence. A 
mother is all in all to her child. If the mother 
is near, all is well. If mother's hand can be 
touched in the light of day or the darkness of 
night, the child is at rest. There is no question- 
ing in the mind of the obedient child when he is 
denied his requests. My little boy often asks me 
for that which is not best that he should do, or 
that he should have, and I say, "No, darling," 
and he answers, contentedly, "All right." 

When we hold the hand of God in perfect love 
and confidence, all doubt and fear will be cast 
out, and whatever answer God may give to our 
requests, we can say, with perfect resignation, 
"It is, indeed, all right." The works which will 
accompany such faith will be holy living, and a 
constant giving of ourselves to others as Jesus 
gave himself to us, not in a sacrificial way, as he 



FAITH AND WORKS 83 

did, but in humanly divine way, from day to day, 
doing all the little things of life perfectly, gra- 
ciously, gracefully, as he would do them; for life 
is mostly made up of little things, and but few 
of us are called to do great things. 

God will assign to us our daily tasks, and we 
need take no care or thought as to whether we 
might be doing something greater or better. It 
is what God wishes us to do, and that is enough. 
Be sure that he will not fail to give us all we can 
do well, nor fail to place us just where he wishes 
us to be. We are not to fret, if sometimes the 
place seem too humble, or the work too hard. 
We have taken up the cross to follow him whose 
lot was, indeed, humble, and whose task was ardu- 
ous, and we must not shrink, but clasp the strong 
hand the tighter, and lean more heavily upon the 
strong arm, and our Lord will bring us through 
victorious. 

The power of faith is beyond measure. If the 
members of one large church had the faith they 
might have, did the works they might do, what a 
revolution would that church make within the 
circle of its influence ! If the members of all the 
Christian churches in the world were really Christ- 
like, would we need to wait long for the answer to 
our prayer, "Thy kingdom come.f^" 

Among men, no professional sham will be ac- 
cepted as the genuine thing. Men feel it in their 
hearts when another is sincere, when he stands 
firm as a rock for right and truth, when he scorns 



84 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

every thing unworthy the name he bears, and 
lives by faith; and they are right in judging of 
the quality of his faith by the work wrought in 
his character by that faith. This faith which is 
like a well of water springing up into everlasting 
life, is a most wonderful gift from God. He holds 
it ready for us in his exhaustless treasure-house. 
All we have to do is to open our hearts to receive 
it. How gloriously it lifts us above the friction 
of every-day life. 

How easy, with such a faith, become the works. 
How naturally, and without apparent effort do 
we serve God, and do and endure his will, thus ful- 
filling in our lives the familiar words, "The just 
shall live by faith." 

Rev. F. B. Meyer tells the following story: 

**0n the Campania, by which I crossed the ocean, 
there were Christian men who held steerage services. 
They talked about these services at dinner, and an 
infidel happened to be at the same table. He heard 
them talk about their faith, their church, and their 
religion. One day he decided to go to see what their 
service was like. He put an orange in his pocket, 
intending to eat it. As he passed through the gang- 
way, a poor old woman, in a very rusty dress, sat 
there fast asleep, her hands folded in her lap, open. 
A thought struck him. He took the orange out of his 
pocket and put it in her hands. She went on sleep- 
ing, and he went to hear the talk. When he came 
back, the old woman had waked, and with a be- 
nignant smile, she sat looking at the orange. 



FAITH AND WORKS 85 

'* 'Mother, how are you?' he said. *0h, well, thank 
you; rather better than I was just now.' 

" 'How better.?' he asked. 

" 'Why, look at the orange, sir.* 

" 'Well, what of the orange.?' 

" 'Well, you know I could not eat the food they 
gave me, and I said to my Heavenly Father to-day, 
"I wish I might have a little fruit. I would like to 
have an orange." So I went to sleep; and when I 
woke an orange was in my hand. My Heavenly 
Father put it there.' 

" 'Oh, no!' said the infidel. 'There is no Heavenly 
Father. I put it there.' 

" 'Ah ! but you would not have put it there if the 
Heavenly Father had not told you to.' " 

Lovely, wasn't it, that she should wake to find 
in her hands that for which she had prayed just 
before going to sleep. This ought to have 
touched the infidel's heart. Perhaps it did, and 
made him wonder, if there might not be, after all, 
an all-loving Father without whose notice not 
even a sparrow falls to the ground. 

According! Oh, the grand possibilities con- 
tained in that word ! According to your faith I 
"What is faith ? To walk right on to the edge of 
the precipice and then stop.^^ 'No! Walk on!' 
'What, set my feet upon nothing.'^' 'Yes, upon 
nothing, if it be in the way of duty ; boldly set 
your feet on nothing, and a solid rock from the 
everlasting hills will meet your feet at every step 
that you take in the path of duty; only take it 



86 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

unwaveringly, and in faith.' " "Oh, but we must 
see where we are going," you say. Dear friend, 
how often do you really see where you are going? 
How can you see, when all the future is as a closed 
highway ? 

In his own country, Jesus did not many 
mighty works because of unbelief. Many times 
we pray for healing of soul and body; and if we 
listen attentively, we may hear him saying, oh, 
with what infinite love, and infinite pity and 
regret, "I cannot because of your unbelief !" 

Perfect faith will help to keep us well, and 
strong, and beautiful in body and in spirit. It 
will make our faces shine, and our feet will run 
to do good deeds for very joy of the privilege. 
Our hearts will sing for joy, and the work ap- 
portioned to us will be performed cheerfully and 
well. It will bring us into harmony with the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It will hold 
us as an anchor through all winds and tides, 
through brightest sunshine and through darkest 
night, and although we may be poor and lowly 
and unworthy of notice in the eyes of the world, 
it will make us courtiers in the palace of the 
King! 



xn 

NOT BELIEVING BECAUSE NOT 
UNDERSTANDING 

There are those who do not believe the Bible 
because they do not understand it, who do not be- 
lieve in God because he is veiled in mystery. 
What do we understand? The smallest leaf that 
glistens in the sunshine and quivers in the trees 
is incomprehensible to us. Were we to try mil- 
lions of years we could not make one. The blade 
of grass grows silently from the tiny seed, we 
know not how. Slowly, slowly the acorn sends 
forth a tree which defies wind and storm in its 
strength and majesty, and Ruskin looks at it with 
wonder to say, "What a thought it was when God 
thought of a tree !" 

Look at the flowers, so varied in their beauty. 
Whence do they derive their color and fragrance .f* 
How is it possible that so much loveliness can be 
centered in a lily or a rose? How is it done.'* 
We are dumb before these thoughts of God ex- 
pressed in the grass, the flowers, the trees, and 
in all growing things. And there are mightier 
mysteries than these. Who understands the laws 
by which we and all other objects on the face of 

the earth are kept from being thrown off^ into 

87 



88 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

space in its rapid whirl on its own axis, as it 
majestically travels on its ceaseless journey 
around the sun? Look into the heavens on a 
clear winter night, and comprehend, if you can, 
what you behold. We do not even understand 
ourselves. Who can explain the union of the soul 
and body during life, and the separation of the 
same at death? Who can tell when and how the 
soul-life comes to us? And nothing can be more 
wonderful and mysterious than the reproduction 
of species throughout the animal and vegetable 
kingdom. 

Thus we may go on from one thing to an- 
other until we are forced to cry out, "Alas, we 
know not anything!" and to feel that we are 
tossed upon an ocean of uncertainty and unrest 
without a rudder to direct our course, unless we 
look upon everything as the work of an infinite 
God of Love and Omniscience, who holds the world 
in the hollow of his hand; who directs and dis- 
poses all things for our highest good; who has 
created all the beauty and loveliness of this world 
for our happiness. 

God has revealed himself to us in his Word, in 
nature, and in the person of his Son so fully that 
we may love and honor him, and delight to do his 
will. We may enjoy to the utmost, all the beauty 
and endless mystery of nature in her richness and 
profusion. Bearing about with us something of 
the divinity in which we were created, we may be 
kings and queens upon the earth; but only as we 



NOT BELIEVING 89 

are obedient subjects of our Heavenly King, to- 
ward whom disloyalty is the highest treason, 
justly punishable by banishment from his pres- 
ence forever! 

He who gives to the flowers their perfume and 
color, to the sky its blue, to the clouds their 
splendor, to the forest trees their varied shades 
of green and their brilliant autumnal hues, to the 
elements their power for good or ill, to the light- 
ning its tongue of flame and its voice of thunder, 
to the earthquake its terror, can do infinitely 
greater things than these in cleansing our hearts 
in the blood of Jesus, and restoring us to his 
favor, and to a place in his kingdom. Shall we 
refuse to believe this most wonderful of all mys- 
teries because we cannot understand it? Must 
we wait for a clear insight into the things of God 
before we believe them? Can we make ourselves 
as gods to pry into that which is hidden from 
us ? Is it not absurd to expect to know what God 
only knows? The finite cannot fathom the in- 
finite, and who can find out God? 

Milk for babes, and meat for strong men. We 
are his babes. All that we can grasp and use he 
has given to us, and it is neither occasion for re- 
gret or for distrust that we cannot compass the 
universe with our understanding. God is ; we are. 
What can feeble ones do but rest in the all-power- 
ful? What can ignorant ones do but learn of the 
Omniscient? We have all eternity before us in 
which to learn of God and of his mighty works. 



90 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Here we only master the alphabet; for this is a 
training-school, a small beginning; and unless we 
learn well the Alpha and Omega, and all that lies 
between of the lesson God has given us to learn 
here, we cannot expect to understand the lan- 
guage of heaven. 

If we wish to become proficient in any branch 
of study, we do not begin with that part which 
is most difficult, and throw it aside in disgust, 
saying, "I will have nothing to do with it, for it is 
impossible to understand it ;" but we begin with 
the rudiments, and advance slowly, step by step, 
like a little child learning to walk, until all ob- 
stacles are surmounted, and what at first was in- 
comprehensible, becomes easy and well understood. 
If we sit at the feet of Jesus, willing to be taught 
the alphabet of the Word, willing to be in the low- 
est class until we are prepared to go up 
higher, much that seems dark and difficult now 
will be illuminated and made easy as we go on 
in loving obedience to the Divine will. 

What a comfort it is to be sure that what we 
do not know Jesus knows, and wherein we fail, he, 
with tender, brotherly love, will intercede for us, 
and cover our defects with his own righteousness, 
and present us faultless before the throne of God 
to go no more out forever! 



xni 

NO MIDDLE WAY 

"He that is not for me is against me, and he that gather- 
eth not with me scattereth abroad." 

Can anything be plainer than this from the lips 
of the Son of God? There are two powers reign- 
ing on the earth, and one or the other must con- 
trol us. We are either serving God or Satan. 
There is no more subtle snare that the prince of 
evil throws around his victims than that of the 
middle way. He is always trying to make them 
believe that between God's path and his path there 
is a broad highway in which they may walk at 
their ease, not troubling themselves as to whether 
they are right or wrong, so long as they have a 
choice of good things from the trees overhanging 
this highway, and from which they can pluck 
the sweetest fruits without discrimination as to 
whether they grow on the right hand or on the 
left. There are multitudes of people who are 
thus led blindly on who know not who is leading 
them, and who would consider it an insult if you 
should even gently hint that they are not in the 
way of safety. The web thrown around them is 
delicate, its texture of pleasing colors, and they 

do not feel it tightening closer and closer. They 

91 



92 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

are not conscious of danger. If you whisper to 
them of it they laugh at your fears, and go on 
gayly to a final hopeless awakening to their real 
position. 

Many enjoy the pleasures of sin who do not ac- 
knowledge their master. They imagine that they 
can break away from the service of God without 
entering any other service. They think they are 
free. Oh, how great is their mistake ! We are 
never free until we are born into God's kingdom ; 
then, indeed, we are free born ; and no power can 
take away from us our birthright. Another 
snare which Satan lays for those whom he de- 
sires to possess, is to conceal himself behind su- 
perstition, and make them believe that he is only 
a myth, a fabulous creature invented to frighten 
simple-minded people. 

It is true that we can neither see him nor hear 
him nor touch him, he being a spirit, but we have 
proof enough of his existence by the havoc he has 
made in the world, which, without him, would be 
to this day a paradise. He is a liar in very es- 
sence, and many are deceived by him, and led on 
step by step to destruction. For this reason God 
has drawn fixed and indelible lines between right 
and wrong. Do not try to obliterate them ; you 
cannot. There are no crooked paths of God's 
making; none which leans just a little toward the 
wrong. Out of God's path you are in Satan's 
path, and there is no broad road nor even a foot- 
path between them. 



NO MIDDLE WAY 93 

The things which are of the greatest impor- 
tance to us are by twos and not by threes ; good 
and evil, sin and holiness, life and death, God and 
Satan, heaven and hell. Either we are the friends 
of God, or his enemies. The paths in this world 
which lead on to the next are already marked 
out, and we are either in the road to hell, 
or in the road to heaven. If we think that we 
are in a path between the two, we deceive our- 
selves. 

Some think it makes no difference in which path 
we walk, and that a loving Creator will bring 
every one out right, somehow, at last. Do you 
think that the Son of God and King of Heaven 
would have left his throne to come to this world 
to take upon himself the trial of being human, to 
endure a life of poverty, suffering and hard labor, 
and die a disgraceful death upon the cross if it 
makes no difference, if there be a middle way be- 
tween right and wrong in which multitudes may 
safely walk.^ 

There are few who will not admit that it is our 
highest duty, and for our highest good to love 
and obey God; but many such seem to think that 
the teachings of the Bible, which is his revealed 
will, are meant for others than themselves. They 
are good enough now. They do not need a 
Savior. If they do the best they know, God will 
not reject them. How can any one do the best 
he knows and still reject the Word of God? 
Where in that Word does God suggest a com- 



94 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

promise between good and evil? On the con- 
trary, the contrasts between right and wrong, be- 
tween the position of the righteous and the wicked 
are everywhere strongly marked. 

God has left no escape from the thunderings 
of his anger but through the acceptance of his 
Son as Mediator and Redeemer. This way he 
has provided for our salvation. It is the only 
way. We might have suggested some other, but 
our plans are as nothing before his plans. His 
law is perfect. His testimonies are sure. Who 
shall gainsay them? Who shall so blaspheme God 
as to say, "My way is better than thy way?" 
Yet many do this in deed if not in word; in 
thought if not in deed. How can men call God 
severe for drawing lines so straight and eA^en, 
when they go astray so easily? How could he be 
a perfect governor of the world and do otherwise? 
"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye- 
lids look straight before thee. Ponder the path 
of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; re- 
move thy feet from evil." 

Young man or young woman, whoever you are, 
high or low, rich or poor, known or unknown, look 
the truth fearlessly in the face, and deal with 
things as they are, and not with things as you 
would like to have them, and direct your life ac- 
cordingly. Be not deceived by false appear- 
ances. We have to deal with real things. Arm 
yourself for a fight with wrong and injustice and 



NO MIDDLE WAY 95 

deceit. These things are in the world, and we 
have to meet them. The evil one is their origina- 
tor. Meet them defiantly with God and truth 
on your side. Lean always towards God, and you 
will pass through life's ills unharmed. Lean only 
a little towards Satan, and you are in imminent 
danger. You must do one or the other of these, 
for there is no indifferent middle path. 

The idea of being in the service of such a beinsf 
as Satan is too repulsive for men to accept ; and 
for this reason they do not realize nor acknowl- 
edge that they are in his service, neither will they 
take sides with God. But it is impossible to serve 
God a little, and to serve Satan a little. How 
vain to attempt it ! Have the manliness, at least 
to show your colors. If you have lived until now 
without being called upon to determine your posi- 
tion, find out at once where you stand. If you 
are not for God, you are for the evil one. Does 
it humiliate you to think of it? Do you say, 
"Impossible !" It is not only possible, but the liv- 
ing truth! Does it startle you? It may well 
startle you. Perhaps you have never thought of 
it in this way before ; and this is one proof, if 
you are not for Christ, that you are in the hands 
of your spiritual enemy, even in the hands of 
Satan himself. He has purposely lulled you to 
sleep, and left you in quiet. Wake up ! Rouse 
yourself to the utmost ! He has breathed upon 
you his poisonous breath ! Break away from him ! 
Trust him and yourself no longer ! Look to God ! 



96 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

He alone is worthy your confidence and service. 
He alone can help you on to everlasting glory and 
honor! How can you take a black-hearted mon- 
ster, the prince of devils, to be your guide? Flee 
for your life to the Lamb of God who taketh away 
the sins of the world. Ashamed to come? He 
bids you come and wash in his blood and be made 
clean that you may follow him in the path to 
glory. Will you come? I plead with you ta 
come! 

Oh, how blind you are if you persistently re- 
ject him; if you grow to be old, and still reject 
him ; if you call him "Lord, Lord," and yet do not 
keep his sayings, but build your foundations upon 
the sand, to be thrown do^vn in that day when 
nothing will stand which is not founded upon the 
Rock of Ages ! 

Service is joy, and life a grand victory, if we 
are in the service of God. How absurd to try to 
free ourselves from him ! Helpless in his sight as 
little children are in our sight, wayward and re- 
bellious toward him as children are to us, how he 
must pity us ! And oh, how he must love us to 
bear patiently with us so long, with our indiffer- 
ence to him and to his dear Son, still hoping to 
save us from eternal death. Then let us look to 
ourselves at once ! Let us not lose a single mo- 
ment. Let us flee to Jesus, and let him clothe 
us in his own righteousness. Be not ashamed to 
put on that spotless robe ; for if you are ashamed 
to confess him before men, then will he have reason 



NO MIDDLE WAY 97 

to be ashamed of you in that day when he comes 
to judge the world. 

It may be that you shrink from entering the 
narrow path. The path of righteousness is nar- 
row only in comparison with the broad, much 
frequented path of sin. It is wide enough for all 
to walk therein who will. It lies through peaceful 
valleys, and beside still waters. The fruit of the 
land is sweet to the taste, and refreshing to all 
who eat of it. Jesus walks in the midst of it, and 
his banner of love overshadows all. It may be 
that you have already entered this narrow path, 
but are so far from your guide that you are fre- 
quently straying and losing your way. Keep 
close to Jesus, and you can never lose the way. 

To be for God, to have his protecting, fatherly 
care, to have Omniscience and Omnipotence on 
your side, and Infinite Love, how glorious ! When 
Omniscience and Omnipotence were embodied in 
humanity that heaven might touch the earth and 
transfigure it, what glory and honor were be- 
stowed upon us that we were counted worthy the 
sacrifice which elicited the wonder and admiration 
of all heaven, and which might well cause all 
heaven and earth to bow in adoration before our 
Lord, crying "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain 
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and 
strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." 
"Blessing and honor and glory, and power, be 
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto 
the Lamb forever and ever !" 



XIV 

ARE WE GROWING OLD? 

We are apt to think when we reach forty-five 
or fifty years that we are beginning to grow old. 
That life is at its ebb ; that whatever prepara- 
tion for the fulfillment of life's duties we have neg- 
lected, cannot be made now; that if we find our- 
selves at this period of life uneducated, undevel- 
oped, w^anting in this or that acquirement or ac- 
complishment, there is little use in trying to make 
up for it now. We are too old. Life is too far 
gone. We shall soon be growing gray and pass- 
ing on into the shadows. But let us look back a 
little. How many years of our life were devoted 
to physical growth? Fourteen or fifteen. How 
much of this time to mental development? Seven 
or eight. How much time at the college or sem- 
inary? Four or five, making eighteen or twenty 
in all. If we were prepared to enter upon active 
life at the early age of twenty, we have had only 
twenty-five or thirty years of activity, and are 
worn out at that ; are getting past our prime ! 
The life-work of many does not begin until they 
are thirty or forty, or even fifty or sixty ; and if 
we are cherishing any morbid, unhealthy fancies 

in regard to our waning powers, let them be put 

98 



ARE WE GROWING OLD? 99 

aside, and let us remember that we are now in our 
prime ; and if we have already wasted so much of 
our life that we are still unprepared for earnest 
work, let us begin our preparation at once. 
Thirty or forty years may be added to our life, 
and is it not worth while to spend three, four, ten 
years, if need be, in making ready for that 
"added length of days," even at forty-five or 
fifty? 

Our blessed Lord spent thirty years in prepara- 
tion for a ministry of three years. Should not 
this be a lesson of patient perseverance and a re- 
buke to our haste and superficialness in our own 
education and development? It is unfortunate 
that it should be necessary to begin any prepara- 
tion late in life, for one does not then learn so 
easily, and there are many more distractions and 
cares ; but it is far better then than not at all. 
What we need to do first is to rid ourselves of 
the idea that we are too old to learn. The best 
part of life is before us. Forty-five or fifty years 
of experience have not been lost. We can look 
upon life more calmly, and with a clearer vision. 
We can weigh people and things more accurately, 
and adjust them in their proper places as re- 
gards ourselves. We are stronger in our man- 
hood and womanhood, and stronger in faith and 
hope. Many things have disappointed us, but 
there is much left which cannot disappoint. 

We have, perhaps, spent much time in the ac- 
cumulation of property, in the care of children. 



100 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

in seeking to advance our own interests. Now 
we may be able to give more time to others in 
such ways as are presented to us, and if our 
years for preparation have not been idly wasted, 
how much good may every one of us accomplish ! 

Forty years seem long when we think only of 
our life here, especially to those who have ex- 
perienced much sorrow and many changes ; but in 
the thought of the eternal years, it is only a be- 
ginning. When we realize that to the soul there 
comes neither decay nor death, how can we ever 
feel that we are growing old? When millions and 
millions of years have passed, we shall still be 
young. Why should Ave consider the years that 
are gone as a large part of our lives .^^ We are 
babes still, cradle-rocked in the arms of God, 
still needing his guiding hand that we may be 
kept from falling, still loving the foolish things 
of this world, and often thinking our own way 
the best. Old at forty-five or fifty .^^ Why, we 
are just beginning to walk a little by catching 
hold of objects nearest to us. Ours is but a 
child's comprehension of the all that is begun here 
to be perfected in heaven. 

As regards this life, we may indeed feel that 
the dignity of manhood and womanhood is ours 
at fifty, that the season of life called youth is 
wholly passed, that we stand at a point where 
the past and the future are about evenly bal- 
anced. If it be a grand thing to have lived so 
long, it will be grander still to live thirty or forty 



ARE WE GROWING OLD? 101 

years longer. It would seem that after so much 
experience the rest of life might count for much. 
That there need be no more time wasted, no more 
energy spent upon unworthy objects or pursuits, 
no more feeding upon common fare, but that the 
rest of life should be rich and full, with each day 
showing a better fitness for heaven, until we are 
bowed down with age, yet only for a little while 
here, to wake some morning yonder to find our- 
selves forever young. 

Then take up your life-work just where you 
have laid it down. You are still young and 
strong for work and with the richness and fullness 
of advancing years, there may come into your soul 
joy and peace, the conscious reward of work well 
done. Try to comprehend the all of life. Avoid 
using it as if it were merely something to be en- 
dured; as if the life-battle were only to gain a 
sustenance for the body. Even to the humblest 
laborer life should be something more than this. 
It should be to him the threshold of heaven; all 
his troubles and hardships only stepping-stones 
thither. None needs be a mere laborer. Work 
is not incompatible with the deepest spirituality, 
the highest sensitiveness and refinement. To be 
spiritual it is not necessary to retire within se- 
cluded walls, or to lay aside the active pursuits of 
life. Spiritual and temporal things need not 
clash. As the body and spirit serve each other, 
so the natural and spiritual go together in our 
lives. We need not seek to separate them. We 



102 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

need not think that spirituality is impossible when 
days are filled with ordinary labor. 

The Savior of the world, by leading the way, 
made it possible for us to perform the humblest 
duty, and at the same time keep the mind clear, 
the heart pure, and the spirit calm. While look- 
ing at the stars we need not stumble in our way. 
While our hands are busy, the spirit may be free. 
It is desirable to have our surroundings pleasant 
and beautiful, to have the dwelling cheerful and 
attractive with artistic decoration, many books, 
and fine pictures. How much more desirable a 
spiritual beauty, with resources for unfailing hap- 
piness in a mind at rest. In one's self must be 
the source of the spring which will keep fresh and 
green all the pathway of life, and secure a per- 
petual youth. What if the walls are bare and the 
house desolate? In the soul there may be wealth 
and beauty and joy which will endure forever, and 
without which all external adornment and appar- 
ent joy will be as ashes. 

Whatever your age may be, train j^ourself to 
the highest culture. Begin at the right place 
that you may lose neither time nor effort. Seek 
first the kingdom of God. In the Lord's prayer, 
the petitions, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be 
done," come before all personal petitions. If all 
had begun the Christian life in childhood, what an 
advantage would have been gained ; but, alas ! how 
many have waited until they were old ! To follow 
the wrong path forty, fifty, seventy years, and 



ARE WE GROWING OLD? 103 

only seek the kingdom in the last hours of life, or 
not at all, how dreadful ! 

We count the years allotted to the life of the 
body. The length of time allotted to the life of 
the soul cannot be estimated. Let not the num- 
ber of years weigh too heavily upon the spirit ; it 
can never grow old, but it can grow in goodness 
and knowledge, in love and purity, until it will 
bear the weight of declining physical powers in 
a sweet and heavenly manner, and second child- 
hood will be but the renewal of the spirit's youth, 
and an obedient answer to the suggestion of our 
Savior, "Except ye become as little children ye 
can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." 
All of us call to mind examples of this in dear 
old people whom we have known, when it seemed 
that the older they grew, the more lovely they 
became, until "Holiness to the Lord" was written 
on their foreheads. 

In the prime of life we stand upon an eminence 
from which we can look both ways ; backward to 
infancy, forward to old age. The long slope up 
which we have climbed to reach this eminence is 
shrouded in mist in the distance, and we cannot 
see its beginnings clearly. Memory fails to re- 
veal to us the lights and shadows of infancy ; but 
where the mist ends, clear sunshine begins, with 
only here and there a shadow as of a man's hand. 
Later, the shadows are larger, and storms 
threaten, but near us is a clear sky, and the clouds 
are bright, as at noonday. Directly above there 



104 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

may be dark clouds, or a sky of heavenly blue; 
but we may look calmly at either, for we are 
Hearing the slope on the other side, down which 
we see cool avenues and refreshing streams ; and 
though, farther on, we fancy that we see clouds 
gathering, and deep, bridgeless rivers, we see be- 
yond the river and the clouds, our Sun and 
Shield; in the west where the sun sets, we see 
heavenly glory, and through an open window in 
the battlements of the sky, heaven's portals glis- 
tening, and a beckoning hand, and hear a voice 
saying, "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. 
When thou passeth through the waters I will be 
with thee, and through the rivers they shall not 
overflow thee ; when thou walkest through the fire 
thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame 
kindle upon thee. Sing, Oh, heavens; and be joy- 
ful. Oh, earth; and break forth into singing, Oh, 
mountains ; for the Lord has comforted his peo- 
ple." 

Surely we need not fear or be troubled as we 
enter upon the sunset slopes of life. While our 
bodies, after a few years, begin to lose their vigor, 
our spirits may mount still higher, and gain vio 
tory after victory until all the battles are fought, 
and we calmly wait our turn to pass into the 
shadows ; then in a moment, to exchange the cross 
for the crown, the decay of earth and the feeble- 
ness of old age for the glory of immortality and 
days of eternal youth. 

Fifty years in the past; forty, perhaps, in the 



ARE WE GROWING OLD? 105 

future. Is it not nearly certain that the last 
years may be the best, may bring forth fruit 
abundantly from the seed sown from childhood 
until now? We value time too little. What may 
one year do for us, or what may we do in one 
year? Let us reach out hands of helpfulness, 
reach out hands of love ; and whatever we find to 
do, do it with our might. For when the Son of 
Man cometh, shall he find the fields white to the 
harvest, and we not reaping? Shall he find the 
sheaves bound and ready, and we not gathering 
them in? Whatever our age, shall he find us idly 
waiting because we are growing old? 



XV 

THE RISEN CHRIST 

He is not here, but is risen. — Luke 2i:6. 

That Jesus Christ was a man of singular beauty 
and divine perfection, in every way surpassing 
the children of men, all who study his life and 
character must admit. That his position was 
unique no one can deny. Never since the world 
began had any one been in his place. Suspended, 
as it were, between heaven and earth, between 
ages past and ages to come, neither wholly hu- 
man nor yet wholly divine, the incarnate Son of 
God. Most wonderful and miraculous was his 
birth, his life unlike that of any other man, and 
his victory over death that of a God. We hold 
sacred the days of his birth, his death and his 
resurrection ; for are not the mysteries of these 
days fraught with important meanings to us all.'* 

Jesus did not come into this world to enact a 
trac^edy for our entertainment. The man whose 
birth angels heralded, whose lowly birth-place was 
pointed out to Wise ]Men seeking liim, by a star, 
to whom God spoke out of the heavens at his bap- 
tism in the river Jordan, saying, "This is my be- 
loved Son in whom I am well pleased," at whose 

death upon the cross darkness covered, the face of 

106 



THE RISEN CHRIST 107 

the earth and the veil of the temple was rent, 
could have been no ordinary man. He who held 
in control all the forces of nature, all unseen and 
spiritual forces, who, according to the annals of 
one brief chapter, cleansed the leper by his touch, 
healed the servant of the centurion by a word, 
cured Peter's wife's mother, cast out many devils, 
healed all the sick who were brought to him, and 
calmed the tempest by his "Peace be still !" was, 
indeed, divinely human, and humanly divine. 
Meekly, day by day, he bore his cross of pain and 
sorrow, unappreciated, misunderstood, cursed and 
spit upon, that we might escape eternal death; 
that through his life, death and resurrection, we 
might live through all the eternal years clothed 
with the white robes of his own righteousness. 

Nineteen centuries have run their course, and 
still the bells ring out on Easter Day : 

*'Good news to all the world!" 

"Good news to all!" 
"The Lord is risen indeed!" "He is a-risen!" 
This day the sepulcher has opened wide 
Its doors to let the King of Glory pass ! 
All hail! Thou mighty, glorious One, all hail! 
We crown thee victor over sin and death, 
And raise our voices high in songs of praise. 
And Easter lilies bring into thy courts 
Sweet emblems of thy purity and love. 
And low in adoration bow before 
Our risen Lord, our Prophet, Priest and King! 



108 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

All nature awakes to new life at this glad time. 
Birds sing carols, and flowers waft their fra- 
grance toward the high heavens. The sun shines 
more brightly, and the trees wave their branches 
instinct with new life, whispering to one another, 
"The Lord is risen !" The little rills far up the 
hillside whisper it to the ferns and wind-flowers 
just waking out of sleep. Every leaf and bud, 
every blade of grass, is delighting in the fresh- 
ness of its new life. 

How our hearts are gladdened as we behold 
everywhere this awakening; and as we realize just 
what it all means, just what the risen Christ is 
to us, what peace fills our hearts, even the peace 
of our blessed Lord ! 

O blessed peace of God ! Eye hath not seen, 
Ear hath not heard, this wondrous, holy, thing! 
More pure than air of morning bright, in May, 
More sweet than perfume of the lovely rose. 
Or of the lily white, fresh from his hand ! 
Our loved ones gone now know that peace in full. 
We, too, may know its fulness ; for our hearts 
Through all the shining way to glory bright 
Go softly with our best beloved to heaven! 

This is a time for gentleness, for patience, for 
quiet joy; a time to forgive all known and un- 
known enemies, and to be more tender and true to 
friends. It is also a time to follow the Lord from 
the manger to the resurrection, and to roll off our 
burdens at his feet, that we may have light hearts 



THE RISEN CHRIST 109 

and bright faces and words of cheer for those 
who cannot see him through their sins or through 
their tears. 

From this day let each one try to live as he 
lived, refusing to carry needless burdens, and 
making each day count much by appreciating its 
blessings, and using to best purpose its gifts. 
May the Easter bells ring out all that is unholy 
in the home, and ring in joy and peace which 
shall endure throughout the year. This is a time 
to make every one happy, and to give simple gifts 
in commemoration of the greatest gift of God to 
us in his dear Son. A time to hallow his name, 
and let his kingdom come, and his will be done 
in our hearts as it is done in heaven. For is not 
our Lord indeed risen that we may rise from the 
grave of dead hopes, of disappointments, of trials, 
of sins ? And is he not our Wonderful, our Coun- 
selor, our Prince of Peace? 

He is not a dead Christ. He does not mock us 
with promises he cannot or will not fulfill. Of the 
earth earthy, and knowing our needs, of heaven 
heavenly, and knowing his own power, he carries 
on his heart our burdens that we may have rest, 
and gives us his peace that we may not be 
troubled or afraid, if we go to him — if we go ! 
What does the resurrection of the Christ teach us 
but that for all there will be a resurrection into 
new life? Old things will pass away, and we shall 
enter upon a more advanced stage of existence of 
which this life is only the threshold. It will not 



110 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

be to fold our wings and sit and play upon harps 
and viols throughout eternity, but to be co- 
workers with God in all that he finds to do for 
his great family in this world, and, perhaps, in 
other worlds. 

A God who can make anything so beautiful as 
the Easter Lily and cause it to reproduce its own 
kind year after year, generation after generation, 
with no diminishing of beauty or sweet fragrance 
will take care of us and our loved ones who fell 
asleep one day to wake in heaven. He will keep 
them for us, and in his presence they will grow 
more and more into his likeness, and we shall some- 
time walk with them the streets of gold and 
breathe the heavenly air of the New Jerusalem, 
the city that is builded without hands, the founda- 
tions of which are of all manner of precious 
stones; the first foundation is jasper, the second 
sapphire, the third a chalcedony, the last an ame- 
thyst! 



XVI 

THE PARTING OF THE WAY 

At every parting of the way, look carefully for 
the sign of the cross ; and do not let your eyes be- 
come so dazed by the shining of the showy, gilded 
sign-board pointing the other way, that you do 
not see the words upon the cross written in letters 
of blood, "this way, my child." 

When you are greatly perplexed, and in doubt 
what to do, you are at a cross-road, and it is of 
the utmost importance what way you take, for 
the termination of the two ways may be vastly 
remote from each other, and one of them must, of 
necessity, lead you entirely away from the place 
for which you set out. 

There are many paths which cross each other, 
so small that you think you do not need direction, 
that it makes no difference which one you take. 
It does make much difference. Many foot-paths 
lead into highways, and some that seem straight 
in the beginning are crooked, and you waste time 
in taking them, even if they come out right at 
last. Time is short, and you need to follow the 
straight and unobstructed paths to worthy goals. 
Even at the outset, there is no time to lose ; and 

at twenty, thirty, forty years, surely there is none. 

XXI 



112 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

You sometimes think that you would like to go 
back and start again. How much better to have 
gone rightly from the beginning, so as to waste 
no time in retracing your steps. And then, the 
course of the years is ever onward; we cannot re- 
trace our steps. 

Sometimes you think there is some mistake, be- 
cause your path is narrow and obscure, leading 
through unfrequented regions. If you are follow- 
ing the path marked out by the sign of the cross, 
do not doubt, do not be discouraged. You know 
not how soon or how suddenly it may emerge into 
the broad highway, or into the golden streets of 
heaven. The cross-roads and diverging paths in 
life are many. We are often compelled to ask, 
"Which is the right way?" Dare to ask it of 
no one but Jesus Christ. His answer will always 
be, "The way of the cross." 

There are paths which look pleasant and safe, 
wherein we see many walking, into which we are 
tempted to enter. Can we place a cross at the 
entrance to these paths without desecrating it.? 
Can we walk in them without grieving our Lord? 

To what are we asking the way? To wealth, 
to honor, to fame? The cross leads not to these. 
It points in the way he trod. Are you able to 
follow in the thorny, desolate way, rejected of 
men, crucified as to your own will, then go by the 
sign of the cross. He endured all this, and more, 
for you, and is it not a small matter for you to 
give your life to him that he may use it as he 



THE PARTING OF THE WAY 113 

wills? While one side of the cross is dyed in 
blood, the other side is illuminated and emits rays 
of light which pierce far into the unknown path 
before us, revealing Jesus walking as our guide; 
and if in moments of discouragement we think 
some other way might lead more smoothly on to 
the same goal, we have only to listen quietly to 
hear the gentle voice, "This is the way, my child 1" 

The cross points to everything pure and beauti- 
ful. The other sign-board points to selfishness, 
to sin, and to a final dwarfing of the soul to 
minute proportions, so that God would hardly 
recognize it as the work of his hands. The cross 
here points to the crown in heaven, to golden 
harps, to everlasting glory ; the other sign-board 
to chains, to final condemnation, to endless re- 
morse. 

Do not think that the cross points one way to 
all. It turns upon the pivot of God's love, and 
points in different ways, according to his will. 
The way to some is over a hill Difficulty, or 
through sloughs of despondency, or through 
shadowy valleys. But the Guide is always at 
hand, to assist at need. To some there are lions 
in the way, but they need not fear. God will send 
an angel to shut the lions' mouths. 

When we come to diverging paths, one may 
seem smooth and safe, the other rough and dan- 
gerous. It is quite natural to choose the smooth 
way ; but if the cross points to the dangerous 
path, enter it fearlessly. There is no danger too 



114 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

great to encounter for his sake who bore the 
cross, and often, things that frighten us are only 
hons chained. 

When hard questions perplex, look carefully to 
see which way the cross points. When tempted 
to follow broad and inviting paths, let us look for 
the cross. When we are weary and discouraged, 
the cross points to rest after toil. When we are 
sin-burdened, it points to the Lamb of God, our 
sacrifice. When we are lonely, it points to Jesus, 
our best friend. When we mourn, it points to 
him, our comforter. 

"This way, my child." Ever near us, placing 
at every parting of the way his cross, is our Re- 
deemer, who died that we might live forever, re- 
deemed, glorified, a great company which no man 
can number around the throne, forever blessed, 
with crosses all left behind, and crowns resplen- 
dent with jewels, and the glory of God and his 
Son filling all. The cross at the beginning of the 
way, and at many turning-points, and at the end 
the crown of glory for all who forsake not the 
way of the cross ! 

Make a wise choice at the parting of the way ! 



XVII 
WORDS OF CHEER FOR THE AGED 

Cast me not of in the time of old age; forsake me not 
when my strength faileth. — Psalm 71:9. 

And even to your old age I am, he; and even to hoar 
hairs will I carry you. I have m,ade and I will hear; even 
I will carry you and will deliver you. — Isaiah 46:4. 

They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. — Psalm 92:14. 

When we are young, everything wears a roseate 
hue. Nothing daunts us. We feel, in the glow 
of hope and in the strength of young manhood 
and young womanhood, that no obstacles are too 
great to overcome. That success lies before us ; 
that there is no such word as fail. But in the 
deepening shadows, when the eye begins to grow 
dim and the step to falter, when we cannot hear 
quite so well as formerly and all the senses are 
less acute, and we begin to stoop and to lean more 
heavily upon the proffered arm of a dear friend, 
perhaps our courage fails a little and things do 
not look so bright to us. We dread approaching 
infirmity and possible helplessness, and pray most 
fervently that God will not cast us off in old age 
or forsake us when our strength fails ; and the 
answer quickly comes ; "Even to hoar hairs will I 
carry you and will deliver you." 

Oh, how sweet this precious promise of our 

115 



116 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Lord ! Will carry you ! As the mother carries 
her child, too weak to walk alone, so the Lord 
will carry you, my good friend, and will deliver you 
from every evil thing. Rest in his arms and fear 
not. Over hills and through valleys, across deep 
ravines, up steep precipices, over dark and im- 
penetrable chasms he will bear you safe to the 
"land of the leal." 

They say that you are growing old because 
your hair is silvered, and there are crow's feet on 
your forehead and your step is not so firm and 
elastic as before. But they are mistaken. That 
is not you. The brow is wrinkled, but the brow 
is not you. It is the body only which is growing 
old, the building in which you have lived so long 
that it is tumbling down around you ; but you, 
yourself, are young, younger than you ever were 
before, nearer to eternal youth ! When you go 
out from this old building, you will be like the 
butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, beautiful, 
young, glorified, shining, all-glorious in the like- 
ness of Christ, if you are one of the redeemed. 

What if there be clouds? Without clouds 
there can be no sunset glory ; and a morning with- 
out clouds will soon dawn upon you. Then do not 
feel sad because your body is growing old. Your 
spirit is young, and your last days may be your 
best days while you are waiting on the border- 
land for the coming of his feet who will bear you 
across the river, into the New Jerusalem ! How 
blessed 1 Work all done, victories all won, with 



CHEER FOR THE AGED 117 

sins all washed away, with hearts at peace with 
God and man, resting in the arms of Love, eter- 
nally young, waiting to behold the King in his 
glory ! 

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. 
They shall bring forth fruit in old age." The 
palm tree has a long life. If pressed downwards 
by heavy weights it will spring back into its natu- 
ral shape on the weights being removed. The 
more it is oppressed the more it flourishes. The 
older it is, the stronger and broader is the top. 
Palm trees produce from the same root a number 
of shoots, which form, by spreading, a kind of 
forest. To flourish like the palm tree is to be 
beautiful in Christ's beauty, graceful in his grace 
and useful without limitations, bearing fruit even 
in old age ; to have the resiliency of the palm tree 
when old age weighs heavily, or misfortunes over- 
take us ; to see to it that the older we grow, the 
greater will be our influence for good. 

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm 
tree." Claim this promise for yourself, dear 
friend, and take comfort and courage. As one 
little root or seed will, after a time, produce a 
forest, so the smallest deed done in Christ's name, 
whether we are young or old, will grow, and grow 
throughout the ages ! 

Turn your faces away from the cold and frozen 
North, and face the sunny South. Look at the 
bright things of life; the smiles of little children, 
the joy of the lover and the maiden, the greater 



118 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

joy of the father and mother beholding their first- 
bom child. Take comfort in your children and 
your grandchildren. Your smile is a benediction 
to them. Although you may not always realize 
it, you hold a warm place in their hearts which no 
one else can fill. 

If you have none upon whom to smile, no one 
to receive your benediction, then smile at your 
Lord, whose love and sympathy are even more 
precious than that of the dearest child. Put 
away gloom from your life. Are not roses and 
lilies blooming all about you? Open your eyes to 
see them. Roses have thorns.'^ Do not thorns 
also have roses? 

Perhaps you are feeble and lame; perhaps un- 
able to walk. Think of Jess in "A Window in 
Thrums.'* For more than twenty years she had 
not been able to go so far as the door. With her 
husband or daughter to lean upon, and her hand 
clutching her staff, twice a day, when she was 
strong, she took the journey between her bed and 
the window where stood her chair. Thinking of 
Samuel Fletcher's case made her awful thankful 
for the lenient way the Lord had always dealt 
with her; for Samuel could not move out of his 
chair, and she could come and go between hers 
and her bed. "Mebbe," she would say, "ye think 
I'm no better off than Samuel, but that's a ter- 
rible mistake. What a glory it would have been 
to him if he could have gone from one end o' the 
kitchen to the ither! Aye, I'm sure o' that!" 



CHEER FOR THE AGED 119 

Jess was facing the sunny South and smiling into 
the face of her Lord. 

Growing old? Aye, yes, it must be so. That 
is, the body fails. Through sympathy, the mind 
may fail too; but this is only for a season. We 
cannot hold up the days or the years. They ad- 
vance steadily, one by one, until, almost before 
we know it, we count sixty, seventy, perhaps 
eighty years. The days of our youth are almost 
lost in the dim past, and the heavenly shores 
seem so near that we can almost hear the music, 
and see the angelic throng before the throne sing- 
ing a new song — "Thou art worthy to take the 
book and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast 
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, 
out of every kindred and tongue and people, and 
nation. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to 
receive power, and riches, and wisdom and 
strength, and honor, and glory and blessing. 
Blessing, and honor, and glory and power, be unto 
him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
Lamb forever and ever !" 

We do grow old. It cannot be helped ; and we 
are set aside, in a way, to make room for our 
sons and daughters ; and we can never again oc- 
cupy our old places, in the world, or in our homes. 
Well, and what then? Then, if we are wise, we 
may occupy an especial place of honor in the 
world, and in the home. Children and grandchil- 
dren may love and reverence us, and strive to 
make our failing powers less irksome to us. By 



120 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

our cheerfulness and hopefulness, we may add to 
the happiness of the family life. 

The years may weigh heavily, but it is only for 
a little while. Beyond the smiling and the weep- 
ing, there is rest and peace. Close, close under 
the shadow of the Almighty, you are protected. 
You are loved with an infinite love, and upheld 
day and night by the Everlasting Arms ! God 
holds you safe for the blessed awakening into full 
vigor, to be eternally young! Certainly it is 
desperately lonely for you, if your husband or 
your wife has gone on before you, or if you have 
never had the most precious earthly blessing, a 
loving husband or a devoted wife ; but there are 
compensations. Try to find them. They may 
be nearer at hand than you think. At all events 
do not complain. Count your daily blessings. 
Review the pleasant hours of your past life. 
Bury the sorrows deep in God's love. 

Look forward! You cannot change the past, 
and you waste time and strength worrying about 
it. Grow sweeter every day. There is no place 
for grumblers in this world or in any other world. 
Let it be said of you after you are called home, 
"My friend grew old gracefully." 

We feel hurt, perhaps, the first time we hear 
some one calling us old ; not so much because of 
the fact that we are old, as because of the sur- 
prise to us who had not thought of it. When the 
heart is young, we do not realize how plainly the 
marks of age are seen by others. But what does 



CHEER FOR THE AGED 121 

it matter whether we are old or young, if we are 
walking in the light of Christ's favor, in the bright 
and shining light of his countenance to whom a 
thousand years are as one day ! Blessed hour 
when the summons comes to leave this world. 
Blessed, blessed hour ! God grant that you, my 
friend, and I, and all of us may bravely and trust- 
fully take the last step away from the sin and 
pain and weariness of this world into the fullness 
of the glory awaiting every one who is redeemed 
by the blood of the Lamb. 

It is true that it is not altogether pleasant to 
be old and past usefulness, to be set in the chim- 
ney-corner, or tucked away in a room by our- 
selves, while others perform the duties which were 
once our delight ; but, dear heart, we are never 
past usefulness. By your patience and sweetness 
you may still do good. By your firm and un- 
wavering trust in God you may lead others to 
trust in him. By your kindly spoken words you 
may influence others to speak kindly. To the 
last breath you may be useful, and put hands of 
love and helpfulness underneath some weak or 
erring one, and lift him into the strength of God. 
Just to sit quietly in your chair with a smile for 
every one is much, very much to do for God and 
good. 

So long as life lasts, an influence is going out 
from us for good or evil; and even after we are 
dead, the peaceful calm upon our faces may speak 
to the living of a saintly life and a triumphant 



122 HERE AXD THERE A LEAF 

death; and the good or e\*il we have done will 
surely live after us, bearing fruit in ever increas- 
ing measure. 

It is said that the young look forward, and 
the old look backward. In the years that are 
gone there has been an intermingling of the bit- 
ter and the sweet. Many remembrances bring 
tears to the eyes and pain to the heart ; but there 
is reason for rejoicing while reviewing the bright 
side : the crood deeds ; the life of dailv self-abne^a- 
tion for those we loved : the innumerable chari- 
ties of words or deeds ; the home where love 
reigned ; the life of the Crucified One, which is, in 
some measure at least, the Hfe of all who love him. 

Remember that the hoary head is a crown of 
glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. 
A crown of glory I How much more precious in 
the sight of God and the angels than the priceless 
diadems of Kings and Queens! Oh, how blessed! 
As we approach nearer, ever nearer to the rest 
that remaineth to the people of God, we may wear 
a crown of glory ! 

Blessed saints who are thus glorified and await- 
ing the divine call, "Come up hither !" Blessed 
saints, all your sins washed away, clad in Christ's 
righteousness, peace be unto you ! May the gates 
of heaven open wide for you, and hosts of angels 
and beloved ones greet you with loud hosannas to 
the Lamb that was slain that vou mic^ht be re- 
deemed, and wear a crown of glory throughout 
the eternal ages ! 



xvin 

FAR FROM HOME 

Far, far away from home, out in the bitter 
cold and storms of life are you who never tell the 
story of the birth of Bethlehem's Holy Child to 
your own babes. The Christmas bells and Easter 
chimes fall on your ears with no response of joy 
within your heart. You heed no story of the Son 
of God Incarnate, The Wonderful, The Counselor, 
The Prince of Peace. The light of all the world 
shines not for you. 

Out in the bitter cold, you do not know the 
warmth within the palace of the Everlasting King. 
You never at the banquet rare within his courts 
have sat as guest. You, in the bitter storm of 
life, are buffeted and tossed about without a 
guide, and you will, soon or late, be dashed upon 
the hidden rocks, and wounded, bruised, cry out 
in vain to all the false lights set along the shore. 
In vain you'll shout aloud to all the phantoms and 
delusions you have followed from your youth till 
now. 

You're very far from home, for you reject the 

Holy One and love him not. Sharp thorns you 

pluck to pierce anew his brow aglow with love, 

with heavenly patience and with grace most rare. 

Ofttimes you're sick and faint at heart, and 

128 



124 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

weary of the long and toilsome way. You gladly 
would give up the useless strife, the reaching after 
something just beyond in vain, or if obtained, too 
late for help or comfort ; for the house you've 
built, the fame you've gained, the gold, all lose 
their fancied worth when once they're yours. 
E'en love is bitter-sweet, not always kind, and 
all your j oys are followed fast by dreary shadows 
which appall the heart. 

A light shines from the windows of a palace 
warm and bright, wherein Love sits and waits for 
you to come, calling in tender tones, "Come home, 
thou tempest-tossed and weary one, come home!" 
Will you not run to him, with feet made fleet by 
love, and look into his face, and sit beside him as 
his guest, and learn to walk with him through all 
the thorny path that leads to heaven? And 
walking thus with him, your face will shine with 
love, and round your head a halo bright will rest, 
and bright and brighter grow unto that perfect 
day when you shall see him on the heavenly 
throne, the King of kings. 

Within your hand you hold a rose of beauty 
rare and fragrance sweet. God gave minutest 
care to this fair flower, which blooms perhaps but 
once a year, and lives but a few days. You love, 
admire, caress as if it were a thing of life this 
rose so heavenly beautiful. Of beauty marvelous 
are all the flowers with which the earth is bright- 
ened everywhere, in forests wild, on mountain 
height, in lonely glen, — the smiles of Nature, 
showing gladness in her own sweet life. God 



FAR FROM HOME 125 

cares for all these lovely flowers, and clothes them 
all in garments far more beautiful than those of 
Solomon, arrayed in kingly robes. Will he not 
care for you much more than for all these? 

Even Nature's precious things are torn and 
rent and beaten to the earth by storms, and pass 
away as do our joys. Nothing endures. The 
earth itself will pass away ; and creatures born 
again into the image of the Living God, into the 
beauty of our King, we shall forget our troubles 
here, our tears, in all the holy beauty of the Land 
of Love. 'Tis only for a few short years that 
beauty and deformity, that sunshine, shadow, 
sweet and bitter, fierce and raging storms must 
fill our days ; then storm and shadow, bitterness, 
deformity, will pass away, and sunshine, sweet- 
ness, beauty rare will take their place, and we 
shall dwell forever in the presence of our King. 
Then, and then alone, we'll know the reason for 
the buffeting and tossing to and fro here on the 
earth, and why the paths our Heavenly Father 
leads us in are often just the opposite we fain 
would choose ourselves. 

If you could know just what it is to live for- 
evermore! If you could only realize that this 
short life is only a beginning of eternity! Still 
in your infancy, you need the cradle of Christ's 
love in which to rock yourself to quietness and 
peace. You only know the alphabet, and stam- 
mer in your speech, and sigh, and cry, and long 
for rest and home ! Beyond this life what heights 
of knowledge we shall reach, what woijjdrous Ian- 



126 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

guage we shall speak, and sigh and cry no more, 
but rest in peace in our loved home. Then we 
shall see our Jesus face to face, and walk and talk 
with him through all the eternal years. 

You cannot feel the Savior's love surrounding 
you? You cannot think he died for you? Why 
did he leave his Father's home on high to work and 
suffer, to be scorned and beaten, spit upon and 
cursed, at last to die a cruel death upon the cross, 
if love to you, to me, to all the human race did 
not his heart to pity move, and make him wish 
to lift us up to his high heaven to dwell with him 
through all eternity? Can you reject the offer 
of such love from him, the Highest One? Will 
you still stay away from home and love divine? 
Oh, be not so unwise I Answer his lo^'ing call, 
"Come unto me !" And go to him, and falling at 
his feet let his dear hands upon you rest in bless- 
ing and forgiveness too : and he will bid you rise, 
and call you his beloved, and he will care for you 
through all the years of this sad life, and 
through all other life beyond this world. Sin- 
stained, and sick, and blind though you may be, 
stay not away. He came to call the sinners, not 
the righteous ones, to follow him. He will for- 
give and heal you, make you see, and he will wash 
you in his blood and make you pure, and you will 
wear his white robes and be glad. 

Come, weary ones, come home, come home ! 
Come one and all and drink of life the waters pure 
and free, for all who will may come! 



XIX 

THE GOOD FIGHT 

Life is a continual fight. Even the little child 
must be taught to fight selfishness, covetousness, 
untruthfulness, quick temper, and all other sins 
in the unregenerate heart. Evil sits over against 
the good in our lives, and there must be strife 
for the mastery. Outside ourselves, the battle- 
field is broad, the enemy powerful, and we may 
well shrink from an encounter. We may love 
peace, and hate strife, but we cannot refuse to 
enter the lists when challenged, without dishonor. 
Indeed, there can be no refusal, for the invisible 
power which controls our destiny, compels us to 
take up the gauntlet, or yield ourselves van- 
quished. We must, at least, defend ourselves 
against our enemies who are aggressive and 
powerful, and ever on the watch to gain a victory 
over us. 

Our most troublesome foes are those that try 

to gain entrance into our hearts ; and we need to 

set a watch, day and night, on the outposts of our 

citadel, lest they creep in while we are inattentive, 

or while we are sleeping. Evil is on every hand, 

and we must either overcome it, or be overcome by 

it; and no victory is final unless good follows so 

127 



128 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

closely in the steps of the retreating evil, that the 
evil cannot retrace its steps. Where good is, evil 
cannot abide. Where God reigns supreme, the 
devil (the do-evil) flees away. 

We are created not for our own ease and pleas- 
ure, but for strife, for resistance, for aggressive 
warfare against all forms of evil ; and in the home, 
in society, on the street, or on the Ex- 
change, our touch may be like the Divine One, 
casting out evil and substituting good by loving 
helpfulness, if only by a word, a look, a smile, or 
a warning. 

If we make self the center around which all 
things circle, if we take and never give, if we shut 
our eyes to the progress of evil and make no ad- 
vance into the enemy's territory, if we do not try 
to overcome the evil by tongue or pen, or by 
active personal effort, what excuse can we make 
for neglected opportunities? Shown by the 
search-light cast upon it from God's throne, how 
will such a life appear? 

The power of the Almighty God is the only 
power of avail in the hand-to-hand combat with 
evil. His armor is the only protection against 
the darts of the enemy. Then put on the girdle 
of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the 
sandals of peace, the helmet of salvation, the 
sword of the Spirit — the whole armor of G<xl. 
Thus protected, you will go forth to battle, and 
return in triuipph to lay your laurels at the feet 
of Jesus, your great Captain, through whose 



THE GOOD FIGHT 129 

strength and in whose name you have overcome. 
Then will he clothe you in white raiment, and he 
will feed you with hidden manna, and with fruit 
from the tree of life. He will give you power 
over nations, and make of you a pillar in his 
Father's temple. Then God will be your God, 
and you will be his son and inherit all things ! 
Wonderful to contemplate, and how much more 
wonderful to realize! Thus is evil in our hearts 
overcome by good, by the entering in of right- 
eousness and peace ! 

There are those who say that evil exists only 
in the imagination; that there is no such thing 
as sin or disease, and that even death itself may 
be overcome by a mental process ! How delight- 
ful it would be to overcome all the ills to which 
flesh and spirit are heirs, by elevated thoughts ! 
If we could only believe that we are well when 
we are sick, that we have no pain when we are 
suffering tortures, that the thing in our hearts 
which men and God call sin is not there after all, 
we could take off our armor, and sit down in 
peace and quietness. To most, the pain and sin 
are too real to admit of such hallucinations, and 
we must deal with hard facts. 

God does not ignore or condone evil. While 
he loves the sinner, he hates sin, and cannot look 
upon it with the least degree of allowance. He is 
on the side of right. He will not keep his anger 
forever. Retribution marches close upon the 
steps of the evildoer. "And behold, at eventide 



130 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

trouble, and before the morning he is not. This 
is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot 
of them that rob us." Could you look into the 
mysteries and behold the secret embassies sent 
from the high heavens to aid you, with what 
strength and courage you would go to the very 
front of the battle ! In the old times, the victory 
was not to the strong, nor to the greater num- 
bers, but to those who trusted in Jehovah while 
obeying his commands. 

In combating vice, something good must drive 
out the evil. Find a tender spot in the heart of 
the bad man, or the bad woman; the hidden, ob- 
scured, apparently extinguished spark of good- 
ness. Fan it into life by kindness, by genuine 
interest, by the pitying love like that which Jesus 
bestows upon even the chief of sinners. Forget 
your clean hands and unsoiled garments, and fear 
not to touch the unclean with tender pity and 
brotherly love. Fear not. Your Lord has 
walked in the same path. Follow him. Through 
his life of suffering and good deeds, through his 
patient forgiveness and uplifting of the chief of 
sinners, into the garden of Gethsemane, even unto 
death, let us follow, follow, whither he leads I 
Here the cross, but there the crown ! Here the 
fierce combat, there the victory, with joy un- 
speakable and full of glory ! 

In reviewing our lives we remember many bat- 
tles, some with joy, and others with sorrow un- 
speakable. When we were victorious, we had 



THE GOOD FIGHT 131 

reason for rejoicing; when we were defeated, what 
but humiliation and remorse could follow our de- 
feat? 

One evening a man was invited by a friend to 
go to a prayer-meeting, and by another to go to 
a gambling house. After a few qualms of con- 
science, he chose the latter. He won hundreds of 
dollars from his opponent, who had staked his all. 
Conscience said to him, "Give it back! Give it 
back ! It is not yours. You have given nothing 
in return for it. You have not earned it legiti- 
mately. Give it back!" The devil whispered, 
"Keep it ! Keep it ! You won it honestly. By 
the rules of the game, it is yours. Keep it!" 
The man made but a weak fight, and the devil 
won ! The loss of all he had drove his opponent 
to the drink, and sent him headlong to destruc- 
tion. Oh, what remorse in reviewing such a bat- 
tle-field. 

Another man, in reviewing his life, may say, "On 
that battle-field I had a hard fight with the jug. 
I filled it with the choicest liquor, carried it out 
into the field back of my bouse, and set it upon a 
rock. Then I said to it, 'You or I must conquer, 
once for all !' I was almost maddened with thirst 
for the accursed thing, and I ran to it again and 
again, and caught it to my breast as a loved 
friend. Then I took out the cork and smelled it ; 
then put it down, crying out in agony, 'Oh, God ! 
Now, or never !' I threw myself on the ground, 
and, in my desperation, tore up the earth with my 



13£ HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

hands. Then I prayed as never before, 'Help, 
Lord! Help, Lord! Oh, Lord, do help, I beseech 
thee ! Just this once, come to me, Lord ! Do 
come !' And he came, glory be to his name, and 
put his arms around me, and lifted me from the 
ground, and together, hand in hand, and step with 
step, we went to the old jug, and lifting it, 
smashed it on the rock, shouting 'Victory ! Vic- 
tory !' while we watched the vile stuff, the accursed 
stuff, flow around our feet. Then I kneeled and 
gave myself, soul and body, to the Lord. He put 
his hands upon my head and blessed me ; then tak- 
ing my hands in his, he lifted me and pressed me 
to his great heart of love. So the compact was 
sealed ; and never once since that hour have I had 
any desire for intoxicating drinks, or for any 
other evil thing." This was a famous victory, 
won by the Captain of our Salvation, who ever 
stands ready to help all who call upon him in 
their weakness and distress. In the story of this 
man, tempted beyond what he was able to bear 
alone, we have the story of many a poor drunk- 
ard who has been saved at the Savior's feet. 

Another man was tempted, through envy or 
jealousy, to steal a good name. The devil said, 
"Do it ! Do it ! That man thinks too much of 
himself. He is so pious ! Lower his self-respect ! 
Take down his pride ! Smirch his good name ! 
Set the ball rolling, and fifty others will give it 
a kick, to keep it rolling with ever increasing im- 
petus, and when it strikes him, where will be your 



THE GOOD FIGHT ISS 

fine Christian and highly esteemed citizen?" The 
still small voice said, "Do it not! He is a good 
man." But envy and jealousy are the devil's 
allies. "Get thou behind me, Satan," if said at 
all, it was in so feeble a voice that Satan pre- 
tended not to hear, and an innocent man was 
ruined ; his good name was stolen. This thief sold 
himself more and more to the devil, until "Lost, 
lost, forever lost !" were his last words before 
stepping out into the great unknown ! "De- 
feated, defeated with a loss great and terrible, 
even the loss of the soul itself — " must be written 
on his battle field! 

"In 1875, Mr. Moody was preaching in St. Louis, 
and the Globe-Democrat was reporting his sermons. 
Valentine Burke had served twenty years or more in 
prison, and was a hard case to deal with. One day 
some one threw a Globe-Democrat into his cell, and 
the first thing that caught his eye was this big head- 
line: 'How the Jailer at Philippi Got Caught.' It 
was just what Burke wanted, and he sat down with a 
chuckle to read the story of the jailer's discomfiture. 

" Thilippi,' he said; 'that's way up in Illinois. 
I've been in that town.' Then he began to read. 
'What rot is this }' he asked. ' "Paul and Silas — A 
great earthquake ; what must I do to be saved ?" Has 
the Globe-Democrat got to printing such stuff .'*' 
Burke threw it down with an oath, and walked 
about his cell like a caged lion. By and by he took 
up the paper and read its strange story. It was then 
that something, from whence he did not know, came 



134) HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

into the burglar's heart, and cut it to the quick. 
Again and again, he read the sermon through. 'What 
does it all mean?' he began asking. 'Twenty years 
and more I have been burglar and jailbird, but I 
never felt like this. \Vhat is it to be saved, anyway? 
I've lived a dog's life, and I'm getting tired of it. If 
there is such a God as that preacher tells about, I 
believe I'll find it out, if it kills me to do it.' 

"He found it out, by the grace of God. Away 
towards midnight, after hours of bitter remorse over 
his wasted life, after a hard fight with the devil, and 
lonely and broken prayers, he learned that there is 
a God who is able and willing to blot out the darkest 
and bloodiest record at a single stroke. Then he 
waited for day, laughing and crying by turns. Next 
morning, when the guard came around, Burke had a 
pleasant word for him. When the sheriff came, 
Burke greeted him as a friend, and told him how he 
had found God after reading Moody's sermon. 

" 'Jim,' said the sheriff to the guard, 'you better 
keep an eye on Burke. He's playing the pious dodge, 
and the first chance he gets he'll be out of here.' In 
a few weeks Burke came to trial, but in this instance 
the case failed, and he was released. Friendless, an 
ex-burglar in a big city, known as a daring criminal, 
he had a hard time for months of shame and sorrow. 
But he was as brave a Christian as he had been a 
burglar, and he struggled on. Seeing that his sin- 
blurred features were against him, he asked the Lord 
if he wouldn't make him a better looking man, so 
that he could get an honest job. 

"A year from that time Mr. Moody met him in 
Chicago, and said he was as fine looking a man as 



THE GOOD FIGHT 135 

he knew. Afterward the St. Louis sheriff made him 
his deputy^ and several years later, when Mr. Moody 
was passing through that city, he stopped off for an 
hour to see Burke. He found him in a room in the 
court-house, serving as trusted guard over $60,000 
worth of diamonds. 

" 'Mr. Moody,' he said, 'see what the grace of God 
can do for a burglar ! Look at this ! The sheriff 
picked me out of his force to guard it!' Then he 
cried like a child, as he held up the glittering gems 
for Mr. Moody to see. 

"Many were converted through Burke, and when he 
died the rich and the poor, the good and the bad at- 
tended his funeral in great numbers; and the big 
men of the city could not say enough over the cofEn 
of Valentine Burke." 

He had fought a great and good fight, and had 
laid hold on eternal life. Not all battles are of 
the same nature as that of the gambler, the 
drunkard, the slanderer, or the burglar ; but all 
are of great importance, and victory should crown 
each one. There is the hand-to-hand fight with 
poverty, with misfortune, with affliction, with 
things too numerous to mention. In all battles, 
be they great or small, we may be more than con- 
querors through him that loved us and gave him- 
self for us. 

It is great and glorious to fight for our coun- 
try, to protect our flag, to keep inviolate the lib- 
erty for which our forefathers suffered and died. 
It is braver and far more glorious to be a soldier 



136 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

in the army of the Lord, to follow our Great Cap- 
tain through fire and through flood, holding on 
high the banner of the cross dyed with his heart's 
blood. In his army are men, women and children. 
None is too old for service in this army; none is 
too young, and no one is exempt. The young 
and the old, the rich and the poor, the learned 
and the ignorant, the hale and hearty, the sick 
and feeble, the halt, the lame and the blind may 
enter this army. Once within its ranks, once 
loyal soldiers of the cross, what a transformation 
takes place! The old become young, the poor 
become rich, the weak are made strong; the halt 
and the lame leap for joy, the lepers are cleansed, 
and in a goodly company with songs and shouts 
of victory they march on together, to lend a hand, 
to right wrongs, to uplift the fallen, to give a cup 
of cold water, to tell the old, old story, to lay hold 
on eternal life. 

Where are you fighting, my friend? In Satan's 
army, or in the army of the Lord? If you are 
in the army of Satan, right about face and join 
the army of the Lord! Then forward march to 
victory ! "You may step in anywhere, for there's 
fighting all along the line." Are you one of the 
feeble ones and afraid? Then flee to the Lord 
who will hide you away from your enemies, in 
his secret place. But be not afraid ! In his 
name and in his strength we may go on from vic- 
tory to victory until the last enemy is conquered, 
and we kneel at his feet to receive our crown! 



THE GOOD FIGHT 137 

Then no more awful struggles with temptation and 
sin, no more defeats, but glory and blessedness be- 
yond the heart of man to conceive, forever, and 
ever, and ever ! 



XX 

WOMAN'S HIGH ESTATE 

Far away in the Adirondacks a spring bubbles 
out of the ground, forming a clear pool in which 
may be seen the reflection of the trees and the 
ferns nodding to it cheerily. It catches the 
glints of sunshine streaming through the foliage, 
and a sight of the blue sky and fleecy clouds which 
it mirrors in its clear surface, a bit of heaven em- 
bracing the earth. Out from this pool flows a 
brook which goes rapidly over rocks and steeps, 
here and there joined by other mountain brooks, 
and fed by winter snows, until it becomes a large 
stream. Winding between mountains, through 
peaceful valleys, by highland and lowland, by 
huge palisades hewn out by nature's quarryman, 
a broad, beautiful river, at last, it reaches the 
sea. 

Like the spring, the brook, the river, is woman's 
influence. It begins in a gentle way, in the home, 
in the heart of a child, in the life of a man, and 
it goes on widening, like the river to the sea. 
Through this influence, in a greater or less de- 
gree, she moves the arms which move the world. 
Of her, statesmen and kings are born ; by her 

heroes are reared, and nations founded. When 

138 



WOMAN'S HIGH ESTATE 139 

her voice is lifted, the nations listen. When her 
hand is extended, all good works prosper. Suf- 
fering is relieved, and death averted, by her wise 
and soothing ministrations. The sick soldier 
turns his weary head to watch her, and calls her 
"Mother!" The little child clings to her gown, 
and follows her in perfect, loving confidence. 
About two thousand years ago, a woman was the 
mother of our Lord. He chose to be the son of 
Mary, at the same time that he was the Son of 
God, and so hallowed maternity through all time. 

Often woman's influence is like the silent dew, 
or the gently falling rain, or the subtle fragrance 
of the rose; but sometimes like the rushing wind 
which carries everything before it. Give her all 
the opportunity she desires, and step by step, fol- 
lowing the lead of the Divine Master, she will be- 
come one of the strongest powers the world has 
ever known. She is brave and energetic, and the 
very embodiment of that love which gives the life 
for the friend. 

Life for the friend 
Is what her love is giving every day; 
True love^ the love which measured cannot be. 
If work be hard, love, love can do it; love 
Can bear it ; love is kind ! Love will make fleet 
Her hands to work, her feet to run the race; 
For love endureth all things, love is strong! 
What will not woman do or dare for love ? 

It is this attribute of love in the heart of 



140 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

woman which will accomplish great things. 
First, love to God, then love in the home, then 
love to all humanity, especially to her own sex. 
What may not woman do when she is in earnest, 
and walking in his steps who died that all might 
live? "Who delighted to do God's will; who did 
not exclude pleasure, or delight in pain, but who 
did not think about pleasing himself at all." Like 
him, a true woman forgets self in her home, for- 
gets self in society, in the church, and in all the 
work to which she has been called. 

Are all women living in this manner ? Alas ! 
by no means ! We need but to read of the doings 
of "society" in the daily papers to learn that 
there are many women who waste their time and 
strength in absolute folly. Whole pages with il- 
lustrations are given to "Society's Rag Doll 
Time 1" and similar foolishness of men and women 
of wealth and social position in their ridiculous 
efforts to pass away time. I quote from a New 
York paper. 

"All Newport was convulsed by the highly original 
conceit of several society leaders carrying a stuffed 
baby down Bellevue Avenue, and disporting with it 
on Bailey's Beach. It was conceded that nothing so 
brilliant, so unutterably funny had occurred in many 
moons. Men and women of wealth, and place, and 
power, gathered about the rag baby, and caressed it. 
It was the one touch of nature that spoke to all 
hearts. They were simply, kindly, genuinely happy. 
They were as little children.'* 



WOMAN'S HIGH ESTATE 141 

I forbear to mention the names of these men 
and women who would not be seen carrying real 
babies, for the world, but who would pet a rag 
doll, and be "genuinely happy !" 

The true woman sits not down with hands 
folded, wondering what she shall do to pass away 
the time. She is up and doing. She does not 
think of what she may do to please herself, but 
of what she may do to please others. She does 
not avoid the responsibilities of wifehood and 
motherhood to play with rag dolls, but regards 
herself as exalted to the highest honor and priv- 
ilege in being permitted to fulfill these respon- 
sibilities. She acknowledges no social superiority 
but that of character. She says of herself, "I 
am what I am, and not a creature of circum- 
stance. If I, in myself, am worthy of respect and 
honor, no added thing which is not myself can 
make me more worthy, and nothing can be taken 
away from me but outward appurtenances, which 
are entirely outside of my real self. My face, 
my manners, my voice, will be the expression of 
my inner life, and I must keep myself high, and 
pure, and noble, for no one can be near me with- 
out receiving a part of what I am. I am no 
longer my own. The seal of the covenant is set 
upon my heart. I am strong in Christ. I fear 
not to undertake difficult things. With the ban- 
ner of love unfolded to the breeze, I am marching 
on to victory !" 

For what was woman made.'' To follow her 



142 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

own way, for ease, for selfishness, to pass away 
the time with as little ennui as possible, for idle- 
ness, for pleasure, for freedom from every ill and 
unpleasantness ? Ah, no ! For love ; for tender- 
ness ; for helpfulness. To do with all her might, 
whatever of good her hand finds to do. To bear 
and endure sweetly and patiently the inevitable 
ills of life. To be a strong tower in time of 
need upon which father, brother, husband, sons 
and daughters may lean. To be the strong arm 
which helps to wield the power which moves the 
world towards righteousness and truth. 

What will you do? What will you contribute, 
not only to the good of your immediate home 
circle, and of those with whom you come in fre- 
quent contact, but to the honest and honorable 
life of your city, your town, your State, your Na- 
tion? Rise up in the strength and grace with 
which God has endowed you, and do your part. 
Renounce all foolish, senseless living. Take up 
your nearest duty, as your nearest privilege, and 
make the earth glad, and the heavens rejoice that 
God created so wonderful and beautiful a being 
8.S woman ! 

However beautiful and wonderful she may be, 
woman's work must be done ; sewing and mend- 
ing, sweeping and dusting; food must be cooked, 
dishes washed, and floors scrubbed. There is 
no end to the work she must perform in her 
own home, or in the service of others ; and out- 
side the home, behind the counter, in the office, so 



WOMAN'S HIGH ESTATE 143 

much to be done, so many livings to earn, such a 
struggle to exist! Work, work, endless work, 
often with small remuneration, little satisfaction. 

Many women look no higher than their work. 
They have no dissatisfaction with their lot, no as- 
piration for anything better. They are work-a- 
day women, and are content to do the same thing 
day after day, to the end of time. There are 
others to whom this daily toil is irksome. They 
perform it because they must. They would 
gladly escape from it if they could. 

Let us try to look at this subject from a stand- 
point outside ourselves. Let us try to see 
clearly, without prejudice just what it all means. 
The servant is not greater than his master, and 
we are not greater than our Lord. Surely, if 
any one should have been exempt from the care 
and work of this world, it should have been our 
Lord. If for any one a life adapted to his natu- 
ral aspirations and capabilities, there should have 
been for him a life of glory and honor. But by 
his own experience he knows how tired and dis- 
couraged workers often are ; that their burdens 
seem too great to bear ; that work and pain often 
go together ; and so with outstretched arms which 
were frequently tired, from his great heart of love 
which often ached, he stands and cries in tones 
that will not cease to be heard throughout the 
ages, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest !" He gives 
us rest while we work, by his presence, by the 



144 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

touch of his hand, by his imparted strength and 
patience, by the light of love from his glorified 
countenance, by his own promised peace. "Peace 
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you !" 

Thus helped by our Lord, we may give to the 
work in hand our best efforts, doing it so pa- 
tiently and so well that others may be helped by 
our example. We may perform our tasks as our 
Lord in our place would perform them, with no 
anxiety, for does he not walk with us all the way? 
With no dissatisfaction, for we are doing the will 
of the Omnipotent, and what matter, if the work 
be not to our mind? No work is menial done in 
love's name. Pride says the contrary. Our 
neighbors look down upon us if we work and they 
do not ; and it often happens that we do not ask 
what our Lord thinks of such and such things, 
but what our neighbors think ! 

We are bought with a price, even the blood of 
Jesus ; therefore must we serve him as those who 
serve him day and night in his temple ; not as 
slaves compelled to obey, but with loving and will- 
ing service; for are we not his dear children? 
Are we not heirs to a wonderful inheritance which 
can never fade away? 

Never complain if you have no heavy load of 
care, no distracting anxiety, no breaking heart. 
To be obliged to work, well, what of it? Sing 
and shout for joy that you are able to work; 
that no sick bed holds you, that no darkened room 
shuts you in from the light of the sun and the 



WOMAN'S HIGH ESTATE 145 

starry heavens I God wants no foolish complain- 
ing going up to his throne. He loves a happy 
worker. 

Do not be afraid of the kitchen. There is no 
sensible man who will not be happier and more 
comfortable to have his wife attend to everjrthing, 
even though she may be able to keep servants ; 
and if she sometimes make the bread and the 
coffee, it is all the sweeter to him. A natural 
woman likes to be efficient, industrious and do- 
mestic. She does not allow her neighbors to dic- 
tate as to what she may do or not do in her own 
home, and still retain her womanly dignity. The 
false idea that a woman cannot do any kind of 
work, not even in her own home, without lowering 
herself to the position of a menial, causes much 
discomfort and unhappiness. Away with such 
nonsense ! Be true women ! Keep your muscles 
strong, and your minds sound, through much use- 
ful exercise, that you may be prepared for help- 
fulness in the time of great need, which may come 
at any hour. 

If you do train Bridget, and Susan and John 
so perfectly that everything goes like clock-work 
without even your supervision, the time may come 
when you will be for days without John, or 
Bridget or Susan ; and unless you have the tact 
and the knowledge necessary to help fill the gap, 
the whole household will be thrown into confusion ; 
housekeeping will be declared unendurable; the 
remaining servants will be overworked, and ill- 



146 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

humored, and things go on badly, because you 
think it would be a disgrace to be seen with broom 
or duster in hand even in your own household! 
A woman cannot be strong without exercise. She 
cannot be graceful and attractive without 
strength. Why not combine the useful and the 
beautiful in your life, as do the works of nature.'' 
Cannot you fulfill your God-given mission as per- 
fectly as an inanimate tree? Work is not in- 
compatible with the highest refinement. You 
may grow in loveliness and intelligence, and at 
the same time make yourself indispensable to your 
household by actual service. 

How much more honorable to spend your life 
in putting forth effort to some good purpose than 
to idly fold your hands to enjoy comforts pro- 
vided by the hard work of some one else. Be ef- 
ficient and helpful. Learn how to adjust things 
when they are out of joint, and how to cover and 
smooth over things which will go wrong some- 
times, notwithstanding all your care. Make light 
of annoyances and mishaps, and never lose your 
self-control. It is a grand thing to be a noble 
woman. You cannot be noble without being sym- 
metrically developed. Put forth your powers in 
every direction, to that end. You do not know 
what influence you may have in your home and 
outside your home by the purity and dignity of 
your life, and the quiet leading of true love. If 
you do your own work in the home, unless you 
use great care, your hands and nails are spoiled; 



WOMAN'S HIGH ESTATE 147 

but your heart is not spoiled, neither does it lose 
one particle of its beauty. You need not degen- 
erate into a lifeless drudge. You may keep 
young and strong and loving, and make of your 
home a heaven on this dull earth, so desolate but 
for woman's love and self-sacrifice. 

"That's what a wife is for," to cook his meat, 
To sweep the house, to bruise the knuckles, soil 
The hands with work, "those pretty little hands 
That ne'er should bear the marks of homely toil I" 
It is not that he does not care for her 
As when at first he held her hand in his 
And said those foolish words ! It is because 
He did not know or think what need might be 
Of having wife for helpmate, not for show. 
To sit with folded hands and dream of love, 
To sing, to dance, to have her own sweet will 
Through all the day. He half is right and half 
Is wrong, when to her mild complaint replies 
"That's what a wife is for!" If willingly 
She worketh with her hands in wool and flax. 
As good wives did in days of Solomon, 
If nearest duty, whatsoe'er it be. 
Be nearest pleasure too, if her sweet love 
Be strong and sensible as well as sweet. 
If no false pride control her daily life. 
She, too, may say without too much regret, 
"That's what a wife is for, to cook his meat, 
To sweep and dust, and make all clean and neat. 
To smile, and kiss away his weariness, 
To keep the children quiet for his sake. 
To live and love, and love and live, each day. 



148 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

A woman's life of sacrifice and pain^ 
Upheld by lo\"e which likest is to God, 
Transformed into the likeness of his Son 
By work and sacrifice, by love and pain !" 



XXI 

TIRED MOTHERS 

It is a great joy and honor to be a mother. 
None knows the wonderful, heavenly ecstasy 
which enters her heart when her babe is placed in 
her bosom, nor the depth of the love and tender- 
ness awakened at the birth of every child, but the 
mother. It is an experience which she cannot af- 
ford to miss, that of bearing and rearing chil- 
dren. Even when death comes to take away the 
most beautiful one, that too opens a path in which 
it is good to walk, though it be in anguish of 
spirit ; for it is better to have children and lose 
them than not to have them at all. The disci- 
pline is refining, and to have children in heaven 
a never-ending joy. But they bring with them 
toil and trouble, anxious days and sleepless 
nights, and great trials of patience and physical 
endurance. They throw chains around you 
which it is impossible to break. You are no 
longer free. Your time is not your own. It be- 
longs to them. From the first moment when 
their strange little voices are heard, they are 
tyrants, and you are a slave. How to bear the 
fetters lightly so that they will not oppress you, is 

a lesson well worth learning; for when the family 

149 



160 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

increases rapidly, and there are two or three 
hardly past babyhood, how tired the mothers are. 
How often they feel disheartened, and hardly 
know which way to turn with the multiplicity of 
cares devolving upon them. This is the situa- 
tion of every true mother, no matter how many 
nurses and servants she may have; and how is it 
when there are no nurses and no servants? 
Tired mothers indeed. The world must be full 
of them. 

There is no end to the buttons to be sewed on, 
the stockings to be darned, the rents to be 
mended. There is sweeping and cleaning, a life- 
long battle with dust, cobwebs and flies. It re- 
quires a great effort to decently exist; to keep 
your home, your children and yourself in order. 
The three meals follow each other in quick succes- 
sion, then it is soon bedtime, and each succeeding 
day is like the others. How many women there 
are into whose lives come little but this weary 
round of wearisome duties, with no time to enjoy 
the house in order, or the clean children, or a 
quiet evening. 

It may be, in part, your own fault if life be- 
comes to you thus full of care and labor. You 
may be inefficient, or too neat, or too great a care- 
taker. But often it seems inevitable. Is it pos- 
sible, then, for you to be anything but a living 
automaton.? How can you avoid it? How can 
you rise above circumstances which require your 
whole strength of mind and body to compass ? 



TIRED MOTHERS 151 

In the first place, do not overtax yourself. It 
is better to leave some things undone than to get 
so weary that a night of sound sleep will not re- 
fresh you. Do not allow yourself to be tied up 
with cobwebs and buried with dust beyond resur- 
rection. If the house be not always in perfect 
order, no one need be distressed about it. If 
your children are not always clean and tidy, it 
will not hinder their growing up to be good. Do 
the best you can toward the accomplishment of 
your daily duties, and when you have used the 
strength given you for the day, stop. You have 
done all that is required of you, and more, for a 
little strength and brightness should be reserved 
for the evening hours when your husband and 
children have leisure to enjoy your presence and 
helpful sympathy. 

Do not try to conceal from your husband that 
you have genuine work to do each day. Hus- 
bands know little of household matters, although 
they are apt to think that they know all about 
them. Do not hesitate to initiate him into their 
mysteries. It will make him more helpful and 
sympathetic to know your exact position and 
your difficulties, and he will be more ready to ex- 
cuse some things which you are unable to do even 
to your own satisfaction. 

Try to find something to interest and occupy 
your mind while your hands are busy. If you 
live in the country, in summer take all the work 
you can to the piazza, or under a tree, and let 



152 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

the baby play about you. He will be less trouble 
out of doors, and the sunshine and fresh air will 
be of inestimable benefit to you both. There is- 
a fine view near your house. Enjoy it for ten 
minutes each day. You will work the faster for 
the pleasant interruption. While you are busy 
with indoor work, the sun comes streaming into 
your room making beautiful pictures of shim- 
mering leaves and drooping vines upon the walls. 
And this is God's message to you, "Cheer up !" 
How bright it is. What a beautiful message of 
love it is to you from God! Will you heed it, 
and work for the rest of the day with more hope, 
with lighter heart and brighter face? The little 
birds work and sing. Have you not a song in • 
your heart also, and does it not sometimes break 
forth into words? Sing while you work. It will 
make the work lighter. 

Open your eyes to the beauty around you. If 
you live near the woods, enjoy them. Even the 
sight of them is refreshing, and an occasional 
ramble in them will teach you how Nature every- 
where is struggling to assert herself and do her 
utmost to utilize every particle of dust, every 
drop of dew and every stray sunbeam to make 
herself useful and beautiful. Even the hard and 
barren rocks are covered with mosses and lichens 
which you will find to be wonderful miniature 
forests, if you look at them through a micro- 
scope. 

Are there mountains near your home? Then, 



TIRED MOTHERS 153 

indeed, you are fortunate, for nothing in nature 
can be more restful or joy-giving than the sight 
of mountains standing strong and silent against 
the sky, with sunset glory gilding them, or clouds 
kissing their brows, catching the first greeting 
of the morning sun, or made entrancing by the 
soft light of the moon. They have mysterious 
caverns and recesses where the shadows always lie, 
and ravines through which the mountain streams 
roar and tumble in beauty unseen. They are 
made green and beautiful by spring's soft color, 
or clothed in the splendor of autumn's gold and 
vermilion, or majestic with the snow-covered 
pines and bare-branched trees covered with ice 
and sparkling in the sunshine. 

If you live near a river or the ocean, you have 
a constant variety of scenery, for neither moun- 
tains, rivers nor oceans are less variable in their 
moods than we are, and even in dull, cheerless days 
you may see in them that which you may ad- 
mire, and in which you may find sympathy. If 
you are denied social pleasures, you may find much 
compensation in being surrounded by the pure, 
unselfish works of Nature, which give much and 
exact little, and which never disappoint you. 
Though you may have none of these things, there 
are other resources for rest and pleasure at your 
command. Look carefully into your life and sur- 
roundings and see if there be not some source of 
joy and gratitude which you have hitherto over- 
looked. The source of the spring is not always 



154 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

apparent, and we may regard as only a common 
watercourse or a pool of muddy water that which, 
after the debris and dirt are cleared away, may 
prove to be a never-failing supply of pure water ; 
and there are some springs which lie deep under 
the surface. There are many springs of comfort 
in your life, if you will find them. 

You ought not to be so tired. God does not 
intend that each day's burden should be heavier 
than you can easily bear. He gives help and 
strength for each day's needs. You can be happy 
to-day, can you not? Or if this is one of the 
dark days, you can be patient and brave.? Well, 
that is enough. To-morrow will bring its own 
strength and resources. You need not now take 
up to-morrow. God does not work miracles in 
our behalf, but he has arranged everything so 
that much help and comfort will come to us every 
day in easy, natural ways ; and it is wrong for us 
not to accept what he gives and turn it to best 
account. Trees, flowers, grass, birds, sunshine,, 
bright clouds and the wonderful blue sky ought to 
be to us a continual delight; the love of husband 
and children a never-failing source of joy and 
gratitude; the Bible a city of refuge. 

There is a bright side to everything, no matter 
how dark the other side may be. We are never 
so badly off but that we might be worse off. 
Somebody looks upon us as fortunate. Much un- 
happiness comes from envying those whom we con- 
sider in better circumstances than ourselves, and 



TIRED MOTHERS 155 

trying to reach their standard. How senseless, 
when none is so high but that somebody is higher, 
until you reach the highest, who are seldom 
happy. Be content. God rules. He can place 
you higher if he choose. Look upon your position 
and all that you have as God-given, and do not 
overlook any of his gifts, nor dishonor him by 
believing that he has bestowed upon you 
the thorns, and upon some one else the roses. 
Sweet and bitter, roses and thorns for all, God- 
given ! 

In many instances when the care of your own 
family becomes a hardship, it is self-imposed. 
You are in the dull routine because you do not try 
to get out of it. You are overworked because 
you improve no opportunity to play. You are 
nervous because you shut yourself up too much in 
the house, keep your rooms too warm and poorly 
ventilated. You wait on your children when they 
should be early taught to help you and each other. 
You fret too much if Johnny's clothes are torn 
or soiled, or if he shows no love for cleanliness, 
and you are forced to urge him to wash his hands, 
and face, and brush his hair. You allow many 
trivial things to annoy you, when nothing less 
than an earthquake or an avalanche should move 
a mother. What if the baby does fall off the 
bed and bump his head? Babies are always bump- 
ing their heads. What if Charlie tell a false- 
hood? It is by no means a sure sign that he will 
grow up a liar. Children are not born perfect, 



156 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

and there is no end to their little mishaps and 
childish failings. 

Mothers would be less tired if they were more 
sensible. Think of the time worse than wasted 
in the preparation of food without which every 
member of the family would be better ; of the un- 
necessary time spent upon the children's clothes 
in making tucks and frills and a hundred and one 
other needless things ; of the many hours spent 
for mere show, or to do as others do, which add to 
no one's happiness or comfort. No matter if you 
do differently from every one else in the world, if 
you do right and make your home a true home. 
Live for comfort, and the good you can do. 
Dress your children plainly, that you and they 
need not be fretted about their clothes. Furnish 
your house simply and comfortably, and have 
nothing that you must shut up in a dark room. 

There are mothers who are tired because they 
have no clothing to mend, no stockings to darn, 
and who would give worlds for just such a pile 
of mending as that to which you sit down with a 
feeling of discontent ; for disorder in the house, 
for the tracks of muddy shoes on the floor, or 
prints of little fingers on the window-pane. 
Think of this, and imagine if you can what your 
life would be if you had none of these things ; if 
the patience-trying little ones were all silent for- 
ever, and there were no noise in the house; and 
put love and cheerfulness into all you do for 
them; thus will the dullest work receive a bright- 



TIRED MOTHERS 157 

ness. Thus will the mother-love shed a halo of 
light around the homeliest duties. 

Be careful not to become tired with imaginary 
troubles, lest God say of you, "There is my dear 
child to whom I have given many blessings. She 
does not appreciate them. She is continually 
clamoring for more, continually dissatisfied, and 
will not enjoy her husband, her children, her 
health, her lovely home. She has no real troubles, 
but she thinks her lot, which thousands might 
well envy, a hard one, and is ungrateful and self- 
ish. I cannot allow this. She is not making 
ready for heaven. Her soul is not growing, but 
is becoming dwarfed instead. She is blind, and 
nothing will open her eyes but real trouble. Much 
as it grieves me to do it, I must take away some 
thing which she already has, instead of giving 
her more." 

Oh, cannot you open your eyes to see what God 
is doing for you without chastisement being need- 
ful.^ Cannot you be gratefully happy and rest 
in his love? Oh, mothers, cannot you feel his' 
love surrounding you, smoothing your path, ward- 
ing off dangers, giving you peace and quiet in 
your daily pursuits.? Cannot you see the great 
glory of God in everything around you.? The 
trees whisper it, the winds carry the message on 
swift wings, the sun mirrors it and sends it in one 
great flash of light and splendor all over the 
earth. The boundless blue sky in silence glorifies 
him; and will you not glorify him by your life.? 



158 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Are you so tired and so much absorbed in sordid 
cares that you cannot teach your sons and daugh- 
ters to avoid the selfishness, the worldliness, the 
wickedness everywhere to be seen in the outside 
world? Do you so shut out all the beauty and 
all the glory from your life that the lessons they 
learn from you are only unblessed work and un- 
hallowed care? Open the windows of your soul 
and let in the glory of earth and sky ; let in God's 
love, and God's strength. Then there will be a 
soft, glad light reflected from you on all the 
household, and joy and beauty will go hand in 
hand with work and care, and God will be glorified 
even in the most uninteresting bits of labor, and 
you will be weary only to rest again, to rest in 
him who toiled patiently and sweetly to do his 
Father's will. 

If there be days when it seems impossible to ac- 
complish anything, when physical energy is want- 
ing, and you weary yourself with vain efforts to 
overcome your inefficiency, be quiet and patient 
with yourself, as you would be with the lame or 
blind, and do not try to do so much as on other 
days when the nerves are strong and the head 
clear. Do not make life too weighty a matter, 
or drag your feet in the mire when you should 
be walking lightly and cheerfully in the sunshine 
of God's love. 

It is true that the cares of life often rise up 
like a cloud between us and God ; but he is on one 
side of it, and we know he is there, and we are on 



TIRED MOTHERS 159 

the other side, and he knows it, and there is but a 
thin, shadowy cloud between us which will be 
wholly dissipated by a few tears, or scattered to 
the four corners of the heavens by a single breath 
of God. And if we are not always in a religious 
mood, or in what is considered the active service 
of God, we need not grieve because our lives seem 
to have no high purpose. Who serves him more 
truly than a faithful mother, whether it be in 
tying baby's shoes patiently twenty times a day, 
or in teaching him "Our Father," on his knees 
with clasped hands by her side? 

God places a higher value upon the little acts 
of every day than we do. Everything done to 
make the home neat and cheerful is precious in 
his sight ; and we are serving him as truly in 
performing the work he daily gives us, as when we 
sing his praise or teach in his name, or pray on 
bended knee. All day long there may be going 
up to him the sweet incense of patient well-doing, 
and we may have, with all our cares, the spirit 
of love and praise. 

If we could realize the sacredness and magni- 
tude of our work, if the wonderful mother love 
could be always uppermost in our hearts, how it 
would lift us above our petty, wearing cares. 
How it would increase our tenderness and pa- 
tience. If we could see in these troublesome, ex- 
acting boys and girls, angels of to-morrow, or 
next day, or next month, perhaps, with what 
sweetness and tender yearning would reproofs 



160 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

be g-Iven ; for many who are our troublesome chil- 
dren to-day, ere another year rolls round will be 
our angel boys and girls in heaven. 

Do not let tHe hurry and worry of life drive 
Christ out of your heart. Let him into the 
privacy of home. There is where he is most 
needed. There is where he likes best to be, close 
by us, to comfort and to bless us, and to lift from 
us our burdens. He was often tired, so tired! 
The whole world is tired; but there will come a 
long day of rest. Happy will it be for us then 
if we are tired to some good purpose. "Come 
unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest." Here as well as in 
heaA'en, will he fulfill this promise. Precious rest 
in the bosom of Jesus, precious, indeed, the rest 
which comes to mind and body after work well 
done to his honor and glory, one smile of whom 
is worth more than the approbation of the whole 
world. 

Then, we who are mothers need not be dis- 
couraged. The King of Heaven is on our side. 
However poor we may be, however humble our 
lot, we are queens, and home is our domain. God- 
wishes us to serve him just where we are. The 
ways of serving him are as varied as the varied 
lives of thousands. We cannot all be missionaries. 
We cannot all be regular attendants at church, 
at the prayer-meeting, or at the benevolent so- 
ciety. The world may judge us by our outward 
religious life, by the frequency with which we are 



TIRED MOTHERS 161 

seen in these places, but God looks at the heart, 
at the mind that is in us, at the patient, untiring 
love which makes sweet the home life. 

Would we be so tired could we realize that 
when we cheerfully and lovingly perform our al- 
lotted tasks we are pleasing God? And if we are 
pleasing him, what higher life can there be on 
earth? To please the Omnipotent One, how won- 
derful the privilege! To be in harmony with his 
will each day, how delightful! No doubt we shall 
realize this blessedness fully in heaven, but can- 
not we realize it here on the earth? Without 
doubt we can appropriate to ourselves all the gra- 
cious promises of our God much more than we 
now do ; and instead of living so much in the 
valley, we may live upon the mountain of our high 
privilege, in the very presence of God himself. 
Thousands of hungry, care-burdened and sin-bur- 
dened ones are crying out with great longings 
and tears, and reaching out after God. To all 
these waiting and weary ones the answer sweetly 
comes from millions of angelic voices around the 
heavenly throne joining with the Lamb in crying,' 
"Whosoever will let him come!" 

"A little elbow leans upon your knee. 
Your tired knee that has so much to bear, 
A child's dear eyes are looking lovingly 
From underneath a thatch of tangled hair. 
Perhaps you do not heed the velvet touch 
Of warm, moist fingers folding yours so tight, 



162 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

You do not prize the blessing overmuch. 
You are ahnost too tired to prav to-night. 

"But it is blessedness ! A year ago 
I did not see it as I do to-dav, 
We are so dull and thankless, and too slow 
To catch the sunshine, till it slips away: 
And now it seems surpassing strange to me 
That, while I wore the badge of motherhood, 
I did not kiss more oft and tenderly. 
The little child that brought me only good. 

"And if, some night when you sit down to rest. 
You miss the elbow from your tired knee, 
The restless, curly head from off your breast. 
The lisping tongue that chattered constantly. 
If, from your own, the dimpled hands had slipped, 
And ne'er would nestle in your palm again, 
If the white feet into the grave had tripped, 
I could not blame you for your heart-ache then. 

"I wonder so, that mothers ever fret 
At little children clinging to their gown; 
Or that the footprints, when the days are wet. 
Are ever black enough to make them frown. 
If I could find a little, muddy boot. 
Or cap, or jacket, on my chamber floor. 
If I could kiss a rosy, restless foot. 
And hear its patter in my home once more — 

"If I could mend a broken cart to-day. 
To-morrow make a kite to reach the sky. 
There is no woman in God's world could say 
She was more blissfully content than I. 



TIRED MOTHERS 163 

But O ! the dainty pillow next my own 
Is never rumpled by a shining head. 
My singing birdling from its nest is flown. 
The little boy I used to kiss is dead!" 



XXII 

DEAR BABY RALPH 

Love-crowned, the royalty of motherhood 

I bear. My scepter may I gently wield 

With love and patience toward our first-born 

child. 
From out the heaven where souls are born has 

come 
This precious gift from God. 

Of all the babes 
Which ever came to bless an earthly home, 
This babe most lovely is ! No other one 
Can ere with him compare. The light of heaven 
No purer, brighter is, than that which shines 
Within his lovely eyes ! No angel's smile 
Can be more heavenly sweet than this dear 
child's ! 

I wonder if the mother of our Lord 

Was ever weary, caring for her babe ! 

Or was she filled with rapture by the thought 

That to the Savior of the world she gave 

Her tender care, her mother-love, her life.^' 

So filled with joy by this great mystery, 

And by the unique honor thus bestowed 

164 



DEAR BABY RALPH 165 

On her, above all women, that the cares 
Of motherhood were lifted from her heart? 
A man of sorrows, if she knew she nursed. 
Acquainted with sore grief, how sorrowful 
She was ! If of the sword which was to pierce 
Her heart, what dreadful anguish tortured her! 
But if she looked beyond the heavy cross 
Of Calvary to all the joy and peace 
That, through long ages, to the world would 

come 
Through life and death of her dear Son, her love 
And joy were wonderful, as in her heart 
She kept and pondered all those wondrous things. 

This glorious October day, the sun 

Is shining, warm and bright. The trees in all 

The glory of Autumnal hues ; the sky 

Is clear and blue, with here and there a cloud 

So beautiful, ethereal, and yet 

So real, withal, it seems as if upon 

It we might float, to all the things of earth 

Indifferent, if we could climb so high. 

The glorious river calmly flows, but grand, 

While doing its appointed work the same 

As when the ponderous blows by Nature dealt 

Hewed out its path through mountains, walls of 

rock. 
Unto the distant sea. The little brook, 
Its source in mountain side far to the north. 
Comes tumbling over rocks, in noisy way. 
Not knowing that it helps to carry ships 



166 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Across the ocean ; yet in solitude, 

In quiet calmness, rippling on it flows, 

In beauty, as God wills, from year to year. 

Beholding all this beauty, breathing in 
Fresh inspiration, renewed joy and strength, 
May not a quiet little mother take 
Fresh courage? Like the brook on gladly go 
While singing her sweet songs, unconsciously 
Fulfilling all that God would have her do? 
May not this mother, like the falling leaves, 
Most cheerful be, with brightest face when days 
All cheerless threaten, and when winter storms 
Are not far off? 

How cheerfully the leaves 
Go to their death! Dressed in their gorgeous 

hues 
They seem to try to gladden us before 
They fall to mingle with the silent dust. 
It is a glad farewell ! They have performed 
Their mission, and they are content to die. 
Just what our Lord intended leaves to do, 
They well have done. 

A perfect day, indeed ! 
What glory in the sunshine, grass, and trees ! 
The hills and valleys sing and shout for joy!' 
I too may sing his praise who made this day 
So beautiful and bright. I praise thy name 
Creator of the earth, and sea and sky; 
In adoration bow before my Lord! 



BEAR BABY RALPH 167 

This little boy who sits upon my knee 
I love most tenderly. His dimpled hands 
And feet, his lovely eyes that shine like stars, 
The sweetest mouth that ever lisped sweet words 
Are far more dear to me than tongue can tell ! 
Dear Jesus, bear him gently in thine arms 
Till he shall grow to serve both God and man; 
For service is our destined lot on earth ; 
And if we serve in love, and not in fear, 
Our deepest, purest joy is still to serve. 

Oh, Baby Ralph ! Those hands will pluck sweet 

flowers 
To find, one day, the hidden thorns that pierce; 
Those little feet will run to find the gold 
Just where the rainbow kisses the green field ; 
The dancing will-o'-wisp will charm your eyes ; 
But over you, around you evermore, 
Your mother's love will like an angel move. 
And God's love will surround and cover you. 
As with a fiery cloud. 

His playthings are all put away; there are 
No scraps of paper littering now the floor; 
His darling mice, he called these little scraps. 
The nursery is neat and orderly. 
And will remain so, all the livelong day. 
There is a loneliness about the house. 
As if our dearest one had gone away. 
There is no longer noise of busy feet. 
No joyous, boyish play. The sunlight has 



168 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Gone out ; throughout our home a shadow of 
A cloud, instead, and silence, that of dread 
And fear. 

He lies there with his lips apart, 

And over his warm breast, his little hands 

Are meekly folded. He is very ill ! 

It seems so strange to see our pet so weak 

And helpless lie, and we as helpless, quite, 

As he, before the power of dread disease. 

May God have mercy on us in our day 

Of utmost need! 

No "Merry Christmas" greets 
Our ears to-day; no little stockings filled 
From top to toe; no joyous prattle o'er 
The gifts of Santa Claus. His Christmas tree 
And lovely gifts are put away from sight. 
He there unconscious lies. He does not know 
The Christ-child waiting stands to lead him home \ 
Oh, God, be merciful unto our child ! 

Our baby ! Our sweet child, to lie like this ! 

The room is silent as the grave ! It is 

A grave, for all our sweetest hopes end here! 

He lies so quiet, now, and in his hand 

Some one has placed a rose. His e3'^es are closed 

Forevermore ! His lovely hands are clasped 

To nevermore unfold! His feet, "so tired," 

"My feet are tired, mamma," he would say 

When first we noticed he was feeling ill, 



DEAR BABY RALPH 169 

Are now at rest ! How still he is ! And yet 
How beautiful! How can we put away 
This lovely form? O God, be merciful! 

Our darling is not dead, nor e'en asleep ! 
But up the golden stairs he softly climbs 
To enter heaven with shouts of childish glee. 
While all the angels welcome him with joy! 
And on his breast the Shepherd mild will hold 
Our lovely child ! 

Bowed down, grief-stricken, sad 
Are we as only those can be who feel 
No more the little arms clasped tightly, with 
"I want to hug 'ou, mamma dear," "I want 
To kiss 'ou, papa !" "Can 'ittle Ralphie 
Help 'ou, papa? Or help 'ou, mamma dear?" 
And all the many baby words and ways 
So sweet, so tenderly remembered now. 
He flowers dearly loved. The first thing which 
Within the room he noticed as a babe, 
A pansy picture, hanging on the wall. 
For many days, with his first baby words 
Which none could understand except, perhaps, 
The angels watching him, he told his love 
To those sweet pansies, bright and beautiful. 
The last thing that he noticed, ere all sense 
Of what was passing in the room was gone, 
Was a bouquet of flowers some one brought ; 
And after smelling them, and holding them 
Until the flowers began to droop upon 



170 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

Their stems, and he was tired, too, he said, 
"Oh, mamma, see ! My dear sweet flowers are all 
Bwoke down ! Some water, give them, please, to 

keep 
Them nice and fwesh!" 

Broke down is our sweet flower 
In all its beauty rare, and put away 
From sight ; but when the promised comfort comes 
To us who mourn, then shall we know our flower 
To be transplanted to a balmier clime, 
Where angels tend the flowers, and where the Lord 
Is the good gardener, through the eternal years ! 
We know that he with Jesus is, and safe ! 
That now no sin can e'er defile our child. 
Through all the lonely years I'll hear him call, 
"I'm watching for you, mamma dear, come up 
To heaven wiv me !" A radiant little one, 
He shines in holier beauty now, baptized 
With immortality ! 

Oh, mothers, could 
You know what 'tis to lose a lovely child. 
To have him go and leave you desolate, 
However loudly you may call, to hear 
No answer but the beating of your heart 
So bitterly bereaved, I'm very sure 
You would be careful of your words, and strive 
To exercise the patience God will give 
To every mother toward the sweetest gift 
He ever gives! Be good, be good! That when 



DEAR BABY RALPH 171 

Yaur children speak of you in after years, 
They'll say, "I never heard my mother speak 
An angry, or impatient word !" That when 
One goes where only loving words are heard, 
You will not feel like falling on your knees 
To ask forgiveness of your angel child ! 
Be good, be good ! And follow Christ, your Lord ! 
Then when you too are called to pass that way, 
You'll find your child, and know him still to be 
Your own forevermore ! 



XXIII 
HOME, SWEET HOME 

Nearly all written romances and scenes enacted 
upon the stage end with the declaration of love, 
and the ecstasy of that supreme moment when 
the lover knows that he is beloved. It is, as it 
were, the happy consummation of all things, the 
summit of bliss. It is as if all that is interesting 
in life, all beauty, all romance, ended with be- 
trothal, when in reality, this is but the beginning 
of a life-long, tender, worshipful affection, of a 
romance more thrilling, more pathetic, more 
tragic, and at the same time more joy-giving than 
any drama or story of love which was ever writ- 
ten. The strong, pure love of a good man for 
the one woman of his choice, is a thing so noble, 
so high, so deep, words cannot express the won- 
der of it. The pure, sweet, unselfish devotion of 
a true, womanly woman, is a prize the value of 
which can never be estimated. 

God joins men and women together in the bonds 

of undying love, love which cannot be measured, 

love which is kind and sufFereth long, love which 

is strong and endureth all things, love which is 

born of Him whose name is Love. Joined to her 

husband in this manner, the wife is content to be 

173 



HOME, SWEET HOME 173 

where he is, and no trial is so great as separation 
from him. The very ground where he treads is 
precious to her. Everything that he touches is 
transfigured. In this true love union, she is all 
in all to her husband. She is the queen of his 
home to whom he bows down in worshipful defer- 
ence. 

True love is the strongest earthly thing. It 
takes possession of the whole being. It pervades 
the innermost recesses of the heart like incense. 
It purifies, ennobles, and transfigures the life. If 
no cloud of mistrust or jealousy be permitted to 
overshadow it, then, indeed, is the home a heaven 
on earth. 

But love is not all that is necessary to secure 
happiness in the home. Love is sometimes exact- 
ing, and jealous without cause. There are dis- 
agreements, thoughtless words, too much teasing, 
too much self-assertion and self-will, and other 
human failings not even dreamed of in the days 
of betrothal. Cares are heavy, and nerves are 
overtaxed. Hasty words are spoken thought- 
lessly, and wounds inflicted unintentionally. The 
friction of life is severe, and self-control gives way 
under its influence. There is too much liberty of 
unkind speech, something which sounds much like 
fault-finding, and the day is spoiled. By a little 
care and forethought, husband and wife need never 
spoil the day, but they may always part with a 
cheery word and a pleasant good-by, when the 
husband goes to his business in the morning, and 



174) HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

they may both feel the uplifting influence of such 
words all the day long, and have no bitter regrets 
should they find the night too late to undo the 
work of the mom. 

"If I had known in the morning 
How wearily all the day 
The words unkind 

Would trouble my mind, ' 

I said when you went away, 
I had been more careful, darling, 

Nor given you needless pain; 
But we vex our own 
With look and tone 

We might never take back again. 

"For though in the quiet evening 
You may give me the kiss of peace. 
Yet it might be 
That never for me 
The pain of the heart should cease. 
How many go forth in the morning 

That never come home at night. 
And hearts have broken 
For harsh words spoken 

That sorrow can never set right. 



"We have careful thoughts for the stranger, 
And smiles for the sometime guest. 

But oft for our own 

The bitter tone, 
Though we love our own the best. 



HOME, SWEET HOME 175 

Ah ! lips with the curve impatient, 
Ah ! brow with that look of scorn, 

'Twere a cruel fate. 

Were the night too late 
To undo the work of the morn!" 

Next to the desire to serve God perfectly, a 
man's purest ambition is to have a home, a loving 
wife, and dutiful children. Without a home a 
man is adrift in the world, and he never knows 
whither the rough and variable winds of fortune 
will carry him. A home is to him a haven of rest, 
a city of refuge, a sanctuary, a place where love 
reigns. Safe from all intruders, from all greed 
of gain, from all forms of selfishness and the 
unjust judgments of men, he is understood, ap- 
preciated, beloved. He is at home. 

To a woman it is a joy and highest honor to 
be queen-wife and queen-mother in her own do- 
main. "Her children rise up and call her blessed ; 
her husband also, and he praiseth her." There 
is nothing in life that brings more joy than a 
happy home. But while we surround it with 
beauty and poetry, and loving tenderness, we 
must not forget that we have something to do to 
create such a home. There is no relation more 
tenderly watched over by our Heavenly Father 
than the home relation, but he does not interfere 
with our arrangements by any supernatural 
power. It is for the husband and wife to de- 
termine whether or not their home shall be to 



176 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

them and to their children all that a home can be. 

In the first place, the- marriage relation should 
not be entered into for any reason but that of 
enduring love. No one should be so ignorant of 
what marriage means as to hazard his life-long 
happiness by a loveless marriage ; the relation is 
too close, too sacred to admit of any reason for 
entering into it exclusive of this one ; the dis- 
cipline too unlike anything he has experienced 
for him to pass through it unscathed, unless love 
is the scepter wielded in the home. Even then 
there are likely to be many misunderstandings 
and many hours of unhappiness before the two, 
unlike in temperament, with opinions which clash 
perhaps, and habits formed which they do not like 
to renounce, can live together in harmony. 

Many persons expect the first years of mar- 
riage to be the happiest; and if they are disap- 
pointed, as they are almost sure to be, they think 
that they have made a life-long mistake. They 
do not know that at first they are one only in 
sight of the law, and that it may require time 
to make them one in reality, unless they begin 
their united life in a different manner from that 
which is usual. Strange as it may seem, in many 
instances, husband and wife are not together three 
days before unkind or unwise words have been 
spoken about something of little consequence. 
"I am right and you are wrong," "My way is 
better, and you must conform to it," is the way in 
which they begin, almost unconsciously, a life 



HOME, SWEET HOME 177 

which they thought would be bliss itself. There 
are many differences of taste and opinion of which 
they did not think before marriage, and they are 
surprised to find that they are so unlike each 
other. By reason of these differences they be- 
gin to go asunder, instead of becoming more 
closely united. 

They expect everything to adjust itself beau- 
tifully, without especial effort on their part. 
They think they love each other too well to have 
even a shadow come between them. They do not 
realize how easy it is to be selfish, or how im- 
perceptibly the shadows fall. Neither have they 
any idea, until they have lived together a year 
or two, how many things must be yielded on the 
part of both, or compromised between them ; nor 
how important it is that each one should be al- 
lowed individuality in character and life. It is 
by no means necessary that husband and wife 
should be alike; on the contrary, they should be 
unlike, that what is wanting in one may be pos- 
sessed by the other, that the two may make a 
perfect whole. If they but knew these things, 
they would study from the hour of marriage to 
be thoughtful and unselfish, and so avoid many 
mistakes and regrets. 

It is better to begin by making love a practical 
thing, than to regard it as a mere sentiment. 
Practical love bears and forbears, and covers a 
multitude of faults. It is patient and reasonable, 
and is never oftener called upon to exercise its 



178 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

graces than in the first years of married life. 
Why not accept the fact, and act in accordance 
with it? This is the only way to realize the hap- 
piness anticipated. Even then the first years are 
only the beginning of a growing fitness for each 
other, followed by a more enduring love, and an 
ever increasing joy, so that the last years are the 
best. 

Nothing is so much needed in the home as a 
careful deference to each other's wishes ; but this 
must be mutual. Too much generosity on one 
hand encourages selfishness on the other ; too much 
yielding by one, a sort of tyranny from the other ; 
so that the only safe way is for each to try to 
outdo the other in little acts of kindness. It is 
not enough to love each other secretly ; show your 
love ! Be lovers always ! Many and many a 
woman, many a man is starving at heart for ex- 
pressions of affection, for the acknowledged ap- 
preciation of their worth, of their efforts to rise 
in the world, of their daily self-sacrifice. 

If love and the expression of it be necessary 
when all goes well in the home, how much more 
so when trouble comes, when the children are ill, 
when worries overwhelm, when misfortune is at 
hand, when death breaks into the family circle. 
Then ought the love-light in the eyes to shine 
brighter and clearer, and in the strength of noble 
manhood and noble womanhood and strong faith 
in God, hand in hand, and heart in heart, they 
will bravely meet whatever trial is theirs to bear. 



HOME, SWEET HOME 179 

There are men who love their wives devotedly, 
but who never by word or sign express their af- 
fection. Some women are equally reticent and 
it is hard to believe that they really do love and 
appreciate their husbands. Love and apprecia- 
tion should be openly expressed. They are for 
common use, and should not be withheld from 
common life. If marriage vows were kept, if 
there were good common sense and fair dealing 
in the home, as well as love, how happy every 
one would be ! But alas ! Many husbands and 
wives are not in love with each other; they are 
not one in heart and life, for there are separate 
interests ; the husband is going one way, the wife 
another. There are estrangements, separations, 
divorces, destruction of pure, sweet, family life, 
disorder in the best place on earth in which to 
sow the seeds of honesty, love and patriotism. 
"To have and to hold, to love and to cherish till 
death do us part," words full of heavenly mean- 
ing, have lost their solemnity, their sanctity, their 
imperative obligation. Ought not these words to 
be changed to something like this : "To have 
and to hold until the courts do us part?" 

Oh, what happiness can there be in marriage 
without confidence, without absolute surety that 
the husband and wife are all in all to each other, 
and nothing whatever to any other man or woman.? 
Without confidence that all expressions of affec- 
tion which belong especially to the home, find place 
nowhere else ? Oh, men. Oh, women ! What of your 



180 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

home? What of your fidelity? Are you living 
the truth, or living a lie? 

A man may love his wife devotedly, and yet 
torture her to death by a slow process. Thomas 
Carlyle adored his Jane, but how he treated 
her! Bringing her no mete of sympathy or 
praise, and crowning her with laurel only when 
her hands were folded meekly over her breast, 
and the birds were singing over her grave. If he 
had said to her what he said about her, when she 
could no longer hear his voice, what a marvelously 
different life hers would have been! 

The author of "A Window in Thrums" 
says : 

"I myself have known a woman so good, matched 
to a man so selfish, that I cannot think of her even 
now, quietly. Hers was the tragedy of living on, 
more mournful than the tragedy that kills; but it did 
kill her, at last; and her husband, when he no longer 
had a wife to ill-treat, went about whining that she 
was an angel!" 

The continued nagging which some men, and 
oh, the pity of it ! some women too, practice in their 
homes, is terrible ! The fruit of much sowing is 
bitter indeed, and is likely to grow into an 
estrangement which no afterthought, or careful- 
ness or regret can ever overcome. Love wounded is 
slow to heal. Love with which fault is continually 
found, will slowly bleed to death. "Oh, Love, 
how red thy heart is and thy hands are full of 



HOME, SWEET HOME 181 

roses !" But the roses will drop from palsied 
hands, and, soon or late, the heart will fail, a sac- 
rifice upon Love's altar! 

Not many years ago at the marriage ceremony, 
a wife was obliged to promise to obey her hus- 
band. A certain woman declared that she would 
never make that promise. The minister who was 
to marry her was told her intention, and was de- 
termined to require her to make the usual prom- 
ises. In repeating the words of the service after 
him, when she reached the word "obey," she was 
seized with violent coughing. The minister pa- 
tiently waited, saying, "We will try again." So 
he began at the beginning. The second time, the 
coughing was more violent than before. "Never 
mind," he said, "do not feel embarrassed, we will 
wait a few minutes, and try again." Then some 
one brought her a glass of water, and they tried 
again, with the same result. Then the minister 
declared it to be useless to try the fourth time, 
and that he would postpone the marriage. "Oh, 
no, no !" she cried. "Try again !" And this time 
she fairly screamed the word "obey." 

In these days we marry with, or without prom- 
ising obedience. It makes no difference. No 
woman now-a-days is expected to be subservient 
to her husband, and that is right. An old Quaker 
lady gave a well known preacher the following 
advice: "Robert, when thee performs the mar- 
riage ceremony, thee should not make the wife 
promise to obey the husband, unless thee also 



18^ HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

make the husband promise to obey the wife; for 
they should be equal." 

"Not like to like, but like in difference; 
Yet in long years liker must they grow; 
The man be more of woman, she of man. 
Till at the last she set herself to man. 
Like perfect music unto noble words. 

Either sex alone. 
Is half itself; and in true marriage lies 
Nor equal nor unequal; each fulfills 
Defect in each, and always thought in thought, 
Purpose in purpose, will in will they grow. 
The two-celled heart beating with one full stroke. 
Life!" 

Spurgeon settled the vexed question of con- 
jugal obedience in an address at the marriage 
of the daughter of a friend, when he spoke to the 
bride about her future lord: "Let him be the 
head, and do you be the neck to turn him which 
way you please." 

While you are not expected to obey your hus- 
band, let your first thought be for his happiness ; 
not in a servile way, because he demands it, but 
because he is more to you than all the world be- 
sides. Let interests outside your home be sec- 
ondary ; home first, always. That is your prov- 
ince. It rests largely with you to make it a 
happy home. On the part of the husband also, 
there is much required that every thing may go 
on happily. If your wife does not, at first, meet 



HOME, SWEET HOME 183 

your expectations in every particular, do not begin 
at once to try to make her over according to your 
own model. Be patient with her. You have not 
married a woman of experience. However ex- 
cellent her training may have been, she is in a 
position altogether new and strange, and which 
demands much of which she has hitherto known 
nothing. 

Share with each other your burdens and per- 
plexities. It will make them easier to bear, and 
strengthen and purify your love. Do not allow 
selfishness in any form to enter your home. 
Teach the children early to seek the happiness of 
others before their own. With all the members of 
the household obeying the law of love, how happy 
will be the home, and how pure and strong its ties. 
Let the family altar be erected early, that the 
blessing of God may rest upon the daily life. 
"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in 
vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, 
the watchman waketh but in vain." 

All this may seem prosy and commonplace, es- 
pecially to the young; but why not look at things 
as they are? Much of the unhappiness in homes 
comes from false estimates. That any discordant 
note should enter into the harmony of two souls 
whose bliss is heaven itself, cannot be thought of 
for a moment. But life is not all sentiment ; we 
have the material with which to deal; and while 
we need all the poetry, all the romance, all the 
philosophy we can command, we need far more 



184 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

the grace of God in the heart to fortify us against 
the surprises and disappointments that are sure 
to come at first, to be followed by a better under- 
standing of each other, and a purer love which 
will bear and forbear with sweetness and patience 
"till death do us part." 

Some women think that they are not accomplish- 
ing anything worthy of commendation unless they 
are able to do something for the world outside 
their homes. What better can they do for the 
world than to train a family for usefulness? It 
is enough for one woman to make a happy home, 
and to lead her children in ways of righteousness 
and truth ; and to no one will there be a heartier 
welcome at heavens gates than to the faithful 
wife and mother. 

A bankrupt merchant went home one night and 
said to his wife, "We are ruined ! Everything 
we had in the world is in the hands of the sheriff !" 
After a few moments of silence his noble wife 
asked, "Will he sell you? Will he sell me?" 
"Oh, no !" "Then don't say we have lost every- 
thing. All that is most profitable to us, man- 
hood and womanhood, remains. We have lost but 
the skill and industry of our hands. We may 
make another fortune, if our hearts and hands are 
left to us." How much better thus to have been 
a helpmate and true comrade to her husband than 
to have weakly bewailed their misfortune, or to 
have found fault with his management of his 
business. Many women would have whined and 



HOME, SWEET HOME 185 

fretted and found fault, making- it all the harder 
for the husband, and for herself as well. Fault- 
finding is a cruel thing under all circumstances. 
It is a slow poison which ruins the life of many 
a woman, many a man. It is so easy to wound. 
The tongue is an unruly member; once let loose 
it goes on and on, and before you know it, you 
have said something you might better not have 
said, you have wounded your best friend, you have 
dropped a match into the inflammable materials 
upon which your happiness is built. It is the 
little foxes, which are hardly worth noticing, that 
eat up the vines. Abraham Lincoln said: "I al- 
ways pull up a thistle and plant a flower wherever 
a flower will grow." That is what is needed in 
the home; thistles pulled up, and flowers planted. 
Many men and women have much for which to 
answer for the way in which they desecrate their 
homes, and bring disfavor and reproach upon the 
most sacred of all relations. Is sweet home life 
no longer common? Has falling in love with an- 
other woman's husband, or another man's wife 
become so frequent that it has lost half its shame.'' 
Is there no longer the laying down of selfishness, 
the sacrificial off^ering upon Love's altar.? Or 
have we instead, sacrilege, profanation, the break- 
ing of holy vows, the sundering of what ought to 
be strong marital ties ? Thank God ! There are 
many true husbands, and true wives, and happy 
homes, and these must be the leaven which will 
leaven the whole lump, these must be a light set 



186 HERE AND THERE A LEAF 

upon a hill which cannot be hid, a beacon light 
warning all against the dangerous shoals, the hid- 
den rocks which threaten destruction. 

An estrangement between husband and wife 
usually begins with a trifling thing, which might 
easily be settled in the beginning by the use of a lit- 
tle common sense and forbearance. Be frank with 
each other. Speak out ! Do not brood over things 
which are likely to be imaginary. Let there be 
no reservations. The most important thing is to 
take God into your counsels. Harmony cannot 
reign where God is not ; where he is not present, 
evil will press in. The nearer you get to God in 
your home, the nearer you will get to each other. 
If there ever be a time when you need to call 
mightily on God for help, it is when you are 
tempted to be unfaithful in word or look, thought 
or deed, to your marriage vows. Love's hands 
are full of roses, but beware of the thorns which 
pierce and poison the heart's life. 

Young men and young women, do not be in 
haste to marry. Better, a thousand times, never 
to marry at all, than to have reason for regret- 
ting entering into the bonds of matrimony. Do 
not think it a small thing to enter into this sacred 
relation. It is a most serious one ; its obligations 
are heavy, and far-reaching; its consequences, a 
lifetime of happines or misery. Young people 
often speak of marriage as if it were the most 
ordinary thing in the world. "We will try it," 
they say, "and if we are not happy together, we 



HOME, SWEET HOME 187 

will get a divorce." Be not so unwise. Weigh 
well the matter, and marry for life, and live in 
love, every day, common sense love. 

*'Life is too short, the pain of life too keen 
To hold our love too fine for common use. 
The sunlight falls alike on lofty oak 
And on the modest grass-blade at its foot; 

"And so our love is meant for daily use. 
To lighten common cares and brighten life. 
And not to be reserved for eulogy. 
Or epitaph upon a monument. 

"Give while you may, and not withhold your love 
From dearest and most faithful friend on earth 
Till you are forced to say with bleeding heart, 
'Too late, too late ! I bring my gift too late !' " 



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